Photo:  starstories.astrology.com

Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith’s lawyer and companion, and two of the actress’ physicians were arraigned in a Downtown Los Angeles court today. The three defendants pleaded not guilty to charges they were involved in a conspiracy to provide the late actress with thousands of prescription pills and other drugs during the final years of her life.

Smith died in Florida in February of 2007, after being discovered unresponsive in a hotel room. Later, it was determined the 39-year-old former Playboy model died from a fatal drug overdose. The other two defendants in the case are 40-year-old Sandeep Kapoor and 61-year-old Khristine Eroshevich. State Attorney General Jerry Brown has accused 40-year-old Stern of being “the principal enabler” in an alleged scheme that involved prescriptions written using phony names.

Today, Commissioner Kristi Lousteau ordered Stern and the two doctors to give handwriting samples to investigators. Each defendant is free on $20,000 bond. The trio is due back in court on June 8, 2009 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.

The second time around turned out to be a real downer for legendary music producer Phil Spector. Today, the Los Angeles jury in Spector’s retrial found him guilty of second degree murder for the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion in 2003. The first trial in 2007 ended in a mistrial because the jury was unable to reach a verdict. That jury deadlocked 10-2 for conviction.

The retrial began last October. This time Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler gave jurors the option of second degree murder or a lesser charge, involuntary manslaughter. The jury, six men and six women, began deliberations on March 26 and took about 30 hours to reach a verdict. Also, the panel found the eccentric producer guilty of using a firearm to commit a crime. Due to the seriousness of the charges, the judge ordered Spector taken into custody immediately.

Spector became famous back in the 1960s when he created a dense layered instrumental sound on recordings called the “wall of sound.” Spector produced such rock hits as “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” by the Righteous Brothers, and “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “He’s A Rebel” by The Crystals. The 69-year-old music whiz has won two Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Spector is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26, 2009. He’s could get 18 years-to-life. 

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

During this Christian Holy Week the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is remembered and honored. In a rare arrangement, Grand View Memorial Park will be open twice in the next few days: Good Friday and Easter Sunday, noon-to-4 p.m. Visitors are welcome to spend some of this special time with relatives and friends laid to rest at Grand View. As in the past, visitors will be allowed to leave flowers and mementos at the gravesites.

 Grand View, a local landmark in Glendale, is in limbo because of legal and management problems. Many of the difficulties began when a state investigator discovered thousands of mishandled human remains at the cemetery back in 2005. Then about a year and a half ago, the cemetery was shut down. It is open now, for a few hours, on specific days by order of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr. Not the best situation, but at least it provides some opportunities for the public to visit Grand View.

 Grand View Memorial Park is located at 1341 Glenwood Road in Glendale.

For a second time, the fate of legendary music producer Phil Spector is in the hands of a Los Angeles County jury today. The jury got the case yesterday after closing arguments wrapped up. The 12 jurors will decide if Spector murdered 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson.

The cult film actress was found shot to death in the foyer of Spector’s Alhambra mansion in 2003. During the nearly five months of testimony in the retrial, the prosecution tried to prove an enraged Spector killed Clarkson when she tried to leave his place. Defense attorneys countered by claiming the evidence doesn’t support that finding and therefore, Spector should be acquitted.

The jury, made up of six men and six women, will consider second-degree murder, which carries a prison term of at least 15 years or a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter with a penalty of two-to-four years behind bars.

In 2007, Spector first murder trial end in a mistrial, after the jury deadlocked 10-to-2 for conviction.

The fate of legendary rock producer Phil Spector will soon be in the hands of a Los Angeles County jury. Today the prosecution is expected to complete its rebuttal to the defense team’s closing arguments, which began on Tuesday.

Spector’s attorneys urged the jury to acquit their client on the grounds that the alleged victim, actress Lana Clarkson, probably committed suicide. Clarkson was found shot to death in the hallway of Spector’s Alhambra mansion in 2003. The prosecution claims an enraged Spector pulled the trigger of the .38 Special that killed the 40-year-old actress.

However, in his summation, Defense Attorney Doron Weinberg told the jurors more than a dozen pieces of forensic evidence point to Spector’s innocence. Weinberg said the big question is did the prosecution prove its case “… beyond a reasonable doubt?” Indeed, that is the key question the jury will have to answer during deliberations.

In 2007, the jury in the 69-year-old Spector’s first murder trial deadlocked 10-to-2 for a conviction, so a mistrial was declared. In the retrial, the music producer faces a minimum of 18 years in prison if found guilty of second degree murder, two-to-four years if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. 

After nearly five months of testimony, the murder retrial of rock legend Phil Spector is about to wrap up. Yesterday, the prosecution presented its closing arguments in an attempt to convince the jury to convict Spector of murdering 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson.

The actress was found shot to death in Spector’s Alhambra mansion back in 2003. Clarkson starred in “Barbarian Queen” (1985) and the movie spoof “Amazon Women on the Moon” (1987).

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Truc Do called Spector a “demonic maniac” who was known to use a gun to play Russian Roulette with the lives of women he wanted to control. According to the Los Angeles Times website, The Deputy D.A. reminded jurors that several women had described Spector’s reckless and threatening behavior, a chauffeur testified Spector confessed to him, expert witnesses had noted blood was found on Spector’s jacket and that there were bruises on Clarkson’s wrist — evidence of a struggle.

The famous rock music producer is on trial for second degree murder; if convicted he faces at least 15 years in prison. Last Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler agreed to allow the jury to consider a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a penalty of two-to-four years behind bars.  

 In 2007, a mistrial was declared in Spector’s first trial after the jury deadlocked 10-to-2 in favor of conviction. In recent years, the 69-year-old Spector has been a recluse. He is famous for creating the recording technique dubbed the ”Wall of Sound,” back in the 1960s.

The defense team will get its chance to go before the jury with closing arguments today. Spector’s attorneys claim Clarkson’s death was a suicide. The jury is expected to begin deliberations by the end of the week.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove  — Visitors at Grand View cemetery during a recent opening.

The gates of Grand View Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale will once again be open for a few hours tomorrow, Sunday, March 22. This is one of a series of openings ordered by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr. The 125-year-old cemetery is considered to be a landmark by many in the nearby community; both Burbank and Glendale residents.

Grand View has fallen on hard times and it has little to do with the economic meltdown. Most of the cemetery’s troubles began back in 2005, when a state investigator discovered thousands of human remains that had been stored improperly. Since then, Grand View has been bogged down with legal actions and management difficulties. A year and a half ago, Grand View was shut down, but it opens periodically for families and friends of those laid to rest at the cemetery.

The  future 2009 visitations will be as follows: April 10 Good Friday, April 12 Easter Sunday, April 24 Armenian Genocide remembered, April 26, May 10 Mother’s Day, May 24, June 14, June 21 Father’s Day, and June 28. The cemetery gates are open from 12:00 p.m. until 4 p.m. during visitations. 

Beverly Hills Courthouse

A Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge today cleared actress Lindsay Lohan of any probation violation. Lohan did not attend this morning’s court hearing, but her attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, did. The hearing lasted around an hour and Holley came out and told reporters it was just a misunderstanding, “… this was really much ado about nothing.”

There was some sort of mix-up involving documentation dealing with Lohan’s treatment program. Holley says the problem developed when the 22-year-old actress switched programs. The mix-up led to an arrest warrant being issued for Lohan, last Friday.

As part of a plea agreement for two 2007 DUI incidents, Lohan was sentenced to 18 months in an alcohol treatment program and three years probation.

Actress Lindsay Lohan is in trouble with the law again. Today the People website and other media are reporting that the Beverly Hills police have an arrest warrant out for 22-year-old Lohan. The Beverly Hills Superior Court issued the $50,000 warrant yesterday. It apparently relates to some kind of probation violation in connection with Lohan’s DUI cases nearly two years ago.

In May of 2007, Lohan was arrested after crashing her Mercedes. The actress suffered minor injuries in that accident. Two months later in July, she was arrested again following a dispute and a high speed vehicle chase. Lohan ended up pleading guilty to being under the influence of cocaine and alcohol. In a plea deal, the actress was sentenced to one day in jail, ordered to complete an 18 month alcohol education program, and put on three years probation. 

Photo from  starstories.astrology.com

A surprise development in the investigation surrounding the accidental drug overdose death of model/television reality star, Anna Nicole Smith, two years ago. Smith’s long time lawyer and boyfriend Howard K. Stern, and two doctors have been charged with providing thousands of prescription pills to the troubled celebrity.

Stern and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor were booked and released on $20,000 bond each late yesterday. A third person, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, is expected to turn herself into authorities sometime in the next few days. All three are facing several felony counts.

State Attorney General Jerry Brown says the investigation was launched in March of 2007. At a news conference in Downtown Los Angeles today, Brown had some harsh words for the accused: “What we have in this case is a conspiracy among three individuals and Howard K. Stern is the principal enabler and Dr. Eroshevich and Dr. Kapoor are prescribing drugs excessively to a known addict and using false and fictitious names all in violation of the law and all in furtherance of a conspiracy.”

On February 8, 2007, Smith died after being discovered unconscious in a Hollywood, Florida hotel room. A few months before, Smith had given birth to a daughter, Dannielynn. Initially, Stern claimed to be the father of Smith’s daughter, However, DNA tests determined Smith’s ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead had fathered her child. Birkhead  has custody of Dannielynn. 

On March 2, 2007, Smith was buried in the Bahamas in a grave next to her son Danny, who had died of an accidentil drug overdose in September of 2006.  

Court sketch of Bernard Madoff (middle/gray tie)  by Shirley Shepard/Reuters photo by Carolyn Cole/ Los Angeles Times

Some justice today for victims of that reported $65 billion Ponzi scheme ran by disgraced financier, Bernard Madoff. In a New York federal court this morning, the 70-year-old Madoff pleaded guilty to all 11 counts against him while many of the investors he cheated looked on.

Madoff, reading from a prepared statement, apologized for what he admitted was a worldwide scheme, which started during the 1990s: “When I began the Ponzi scheme I believed it would end shortly and I would be able to extricate myself and my clients from the scheme. However, this proved difficult, and ultimately impossible, and as the years went by I realized that my arrest and this day would inevitably come. I am painfully aware that I have deeply hurt many, many people, including the members of my family, my closest friends, business associates and the thousands of clients who gave me their money. I cannot adequately express how sorry I am for what I have done.”

 Prosecutors say there could be close to five thousand Madoff victims, from middle class working folks to wealthy Hollywood celebrities. Officials say the investigation is not over. The search continues for co-conspirators and yes, the billions of dollars that Madoff bamboozled out of investors.

U. S. District Judge Denny Chin determined Madoff was a flight risk and therefore, revoked his $10 million bail. The judge ordered Madoff to jail. He was taken away in handcuffs as many of his victims cheered.

The Judge set sentencing for June 16, 2009. Madoff is facing penalties of more than 100 years behind bars.

Barbara Davidson/Los Angeles Times

Both sides in the bitter battle over same-sex marriage have had their say before the California Supreme Court, now it’s up to the justices to rule. While lawyers presented their arguments before the high court in San Francisco yesterday,  demonstrators, for and against, rallied outside with protest signs and chants.

Proposition 8, passed by 52 per cent of the voters last November,  amends the state constitution to allow marriage only between a man and a woman.  That ballot measure overturned an earlier ruling by the state supreme court that legalized same-sex marriage.

The justices were asked to decide if Proposition 8 is valid and to determine how it affects about 18,000 gay marriages performed before the passage of the measure. The court has 90 days to make a decision. 

FLLewis/ A Writer’s Groove

A gravesite is adorned with flowers during a visitation this past summer at Grand View. 

Grand View Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale will be open to visitors today by order of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mohr.

Judge Mohr issued the order after a hearing last month. The troubled cemetery has been entangled in management and legal problems since the fall of 2005, after an investigator discovered the remains of four thousand bodies that had been mishandled.

This year, Grand View has been open for a few hours on select visitation days.  Future openings will be on October 26, November 9, November 23, November 27 (Thanksgiving), December 7, December 21, December 25 (Christmas), January 1, 2009 (New Years Day), and January 6, 2009  (Armenian Christmas). 

The hours are noon to 4 p.m. During that time, visitors will be able to stroll the grounds, clean markers, hand trim and water the dry grass and leave commemorative items at the gravesites.

An e-mail announcement of the openings from Plantiffs’ Attorney Paul Ayers also reminded visitors to obey the rules, especially those dealing with fires. “Due to the dry grounds it is very important that there be no smoking, fires or use of incense during the opening. Violations of this rule can cause the Glendale Fire Marshall to oppose further openings.”

The dry and sometimes windy weather conditions we are having now make compliance with the no-fires rule doubly important.

A man pauses to reflect near a gravesite during the March 30 public visitation at struggling Grand View Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale. This visitor is one of the lucky ones. He managed to find the grave marker or at least the general area he was looking for despite the thick layers of wild grasses, weeds, and debris.

I have been to two recent visitations at this 124-year-old neighborhood cemetery. Each time, I have spotted eager and diligent visitors cleaning the gravesites, markers, and headstones. A job that should be handled by the cemetery owner, Moshe Goldsman. However, the maintenance of the grounds has been haphazard at best for months now.

Grand View has fallen on hard times, brought on by mismanagement and legal problems that date back to 2005. That’s when a state investigator discovered human remains at the cemetery had been improperly handled.

Despite the less than ideal situation, visitors show up whenever Grand View opens its gates to the public. Those gates will be open again this Sunday, July 27 from noon to 4 p.m.

Then, it’s back to court for a status meeting before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr who will determine if or when there will be additional visitation dates.