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Phil Spector Taking Appeal to the Supreme Court

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 29: Phil Spector listens to the judge during sentencing in Los Angeles Criminal Courts on May 29, 2009 in Los Angeles, California, for the February 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson. Spector was sentenced for 19-years to life. (Photo by Al Seib-Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Phil Spector
Al Pacino in costume on the set of the upcoming Phil Spector biopic in Mineola, New York.Pictured: Al PacinoRef: SPL302878 020811 Picture by: Doug Meszler / Splash NewsSplash News and PicturesLos Angeles: 310-821-2666New York: 212-619-2666London: 870-934-2666photodesk@splashnews.com Photo: Pool/2009 Getty Images

When Phil Spector, the legendary “wall of sound” record producer, was convicted in 2009 for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, his guilt was left largely unquestioned. After all, while Spector produced everyone from the Beatles to the Ramones, he threatened both of those bands with firearms. Now Spector’s attorney, Dennis Riordan, claims that the judge who presided over the Clarkson murder trial “violated [Spector’s] constitutional rights” by “providing his opinion on expert testimony,” thus acting as a prosecution witness. The appeal has already been rejected by other appellate courts and the California Supreme Court, leaving the highest court in the land as Spector’s last option. Given how unlikely it is that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear his appeal, Spector will probably remain behind many walls of concrete for the rest of his nineteen-to-life sentence.

Phil Spector Taking Appeal to the Supreme Court