Joe Halderman's David Letterman Extortion Case Headed To Trial: New York Observer

The New York Observer:

Over the weekend, Dr. Bob Arnot, a friend and former colleague of Mr. Halderman, told The Observer that Mr. Halderman is currently planning to try and take the case all the way to trial. In a recent interview with Newsday's Verne Gay, Mr. Halderman's attorney Gerald Shargel likewise suggested that no plea agreement is in the works.

Read the whole story: The New York Observer

Comments

[dct1999]

This man mistakenly believes that people are empathetic to him; he's wrong. He's nothing more than a blackmailer who couldn't handle the truth....h­is girl (not wife) was cheating on him with an extremely wealthy, famous man.

Halderman is a deluded man.

[OtayPanky]

This guy's playing Russian Roulette with five bullets in the gun.

It's not going to be pretty, but it is fascinating in a grisly sort of way.

I'd say Letterman is going to need protection after this guy gets out of jail.

[JakeMontero]

can't wait.... i

[Clayton139]

Good !

[voltage356]

David he is putting you in a corner now to fully expose you. There's no joking out of this one or any top 10's.

[henryberry]

On the face of it, it doesn't look good for Halderman. The evidence against him seems straightforward, and I understand there are tapes of his alleged blackmail from when Halderman talked with Letterman's lawyer.

There are a couple of lines which might come out however which would play into Halderman's defense. One of these is that Letterman made payments to any of his paramours or others for keeping quiet about his affairs. Letterman was known for being especially generous to those who worked for him. But it wouldn't take much to turn some of this into seeming payments, "hush money." Halderman may be able to make an argument that he felt he was entitled to be party to this practice of Letterman; or that Halderman misunderstood something about payments Letterman made to others.A twist on this would be some sort of "discrimination" claim by Halderman that he was "negotiating" with Letterman for equal employment "benefits" (although I don't know the business relationship between the two).

Another line for Halderman considering his close relationship with Brickett who was having an affair with Halderman is that this relationship caused some material damage to Halderman's career or financial situation; and he was seeing about recompense for this. And don't overestimate the alleged script Halderman is said to have written exposing Letterman's affair. Halderman does have freedom of expression, and he also owns the copyright to such a literary work and is entitled to sell it to whomever he pleases.

[YLS2007]

Another celebrity sniffing trial lawyer with an apparent abundance of time and a need tor an audience to read it. So tell us big time, how many law schools did you dream about applying to?

[henryberry]

I didn't have to go to law school. My graduate degree in philosophy, research skills, and writing and speaking skills enabled me to win civil cases against a major Connecticut corporate law firm and Connecticut state's attorneys. My case against the corporate law firm for theft of property of mine was proceeding so well the firm had to bribe judge's, tamper with evidence, tamper with witnesses, and commit perjury to subvert it. As for the case against the state's attorneys, a judge ruled that my allegations of an illegal wiretap and related invasion of privacy and other civil rights violations were admitted to when the head Fairfield County State's Attorney (one of the attorneys of the Skakel case) refused to turn over evidence to me. Additionally, I successfully defended myself pro se in a fabricated harassment case against me (case dismissed when I exposed false statements by law-enforcement officials and the individual making out the complaint). So I'm not a lawyer. In CT, among other activities, I spend time exposing crime and corruption in the public and private sectors of the legal system.

Words don't bother me, nor does the multiple threats I have gotten in not leaving lawyers to engage in crime and corruption in the legal system. But I'm curious about your interest in the Letterman case given your attempt to castigate my thoughts on the case.

[Sobeton]

no new york jury is going to buy this horse and pony show if his lawyer attempts it. Halderman will be convicted.­. Morgenthau's team of ADA's are some the best in the business.

[ontariogirl]

Big surprise he's going to trial. Of course he is. He wants to ruin Letterman.­.....perio­d. Good luck. This is such a farse. Do not pass go........­go directly to jail.

[ObamAtomic]

Man you are risking a lot years behind bars,you can not win,intending
to black mail someone,as Dave!

[littlepuffycloud]

This comment is pending approval and won't be displayed until it is approved.

[Shirley Fisk]

11/9/09
11:46am
Alexandria, VA

Mine too, dogbreath.

[mcmutter]

I hope the b-st#rd does 15 years.....

[texastrixie]

Of course he's going to trial. This was never entirely about the money, the guy feels Letterman (and his ex-wife) cheated on him. He's jealous and knows he is going to prison. He'd represent himself, if necessary, just to get all the dirt he has out in the open. Plus, he may have willing witnesses that no one knows about yet. Its obvious other women were involved with Dave, and some of them, or their co-workers, may NOT considered this all one big happy family. Its going to be one big media mess. I just hope Letterman is not into "extraordinary," since whatever that was, it would be on every news channel. He would find that a lot harder to make jokes about.

[MountainPenelope]

Not his ex-wife. She was his girlfriend.

[gemini2]

If the "extraordinary" does exist, it may not get out for some time if the judge decides to seal the proceedings.

[condor101]

Yup, this guy is toast. I want him to go to trial, so that he receives the harshest sentence.
Judges and prosecutors don't like to go to trial. They always want a defendent to take a plea bargain.
There is no way for him to be acquitted; He was caught on tape.
They are going to throw him in jail for at least 20 years.
He looks psycho; I hope Dave is protecting himself.

[Okieborn]

This guy looks like a real loser !!
Go ahead make Lettermans day !!

[proudloudlib]

Does he have to disclose where he gets financial aid for his defense? I think he should. Why would anyone support him, outside of immediate family and friends? I hope he does go to trial, so he can receive the harshest penalty possible instead of getting off easy. I have no sympathy for him at all. And I believe Dave can take the heat. Last I heard, extortion was against the law, having an affair wasn't.

[EscapeTireTube]

it might be more than one simple "affair" as you say and that's why a trial may be Letterman's worst nightmare.

[Sumocat]

I don't see how. That Letterman dated his former head writer and that his wife since March used to work for him have been matters of public record for decades. Given that decades-old knowledge, I don't see why anyone cares that he's been with other women who worked for him.

[NHBill]

So far all this has increased Letterman's ratings.
The $100,000 the guy raised for his legal fees is a drop in the bucket if he goes to trial.
The cops appear to have the guy cold.
This leak is designed to get him a better plea deal.
He'll have to cop a plea, still do some time and then try to re-build his life.
Regardless of what was specifically going in between the tree principles in the case Halderman lost it at some point.
Sometimes you just have to let it go.