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The Pellicano Trial: Why it Matters


The thing that I try to remember when I'm watching this trial is why it even matters. The government has chosen to give a lot of Mr. Pellicano's clients immunity -- so they can talk about the bad and illegal things that he did. But the real question is why did so many rich, famous and respected people in this town seek out Mr. Pellicano to do their dirty work?

What was it about Bo Zenga that scared Brad Grey so much that he actually hired Anthony Pellicano to deal with the screenwriter in the middle of their lawsuit? And, what was it about the producer Charles Roven that drove director John McTiernan to ask Pellicano to wiretap him? Why did someone as rich and successful as Mike Ovitz hire Anthony Pellicano to work on some small time litigation matters and then, deal with a list of enemies including people who were merely writing about him like reporters like Anita Busch and Bernie Weinraub?

Why were these supposedly really wealthy and successful people so afraid of their enemies? And why did they hire someone like Anthony Pellicano to not only discredit their adversaries, but to totally destroy their reputations and often their careers? That's what interests me about everything that's happening. I'm waiting to see these clients on the stand, look at Anthony Pellicano and tell the jury under oath why they hired him and how they didn't know what he was doing.

Anthony Pellicano may be taking the fall for all of these clients -- except for the ones who are too poor to call in favors -- but there are a lot of people in town who hired him knowing exactly who he was and who would probably hire him again if he were out and about.

Read full HuffPost coverage from inside the courtroom

 
 
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01:24 PM on 03/14/2008
Everyone hires the most successful lawyer they can afford. I'm sorry, I do not see the relevance of this story. What's the real issue for you Weiner? Why do you have such a hard on for this guy's cajones on a silver platter? Enquiring minds want to know. I am sincerely curious.
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FearlessFreep
I'm actually a radical leftist
08:32 PM on 03/09/2008
Why do rich and famous people hire people like Pellicano? Because the natural American way is to live in fear.
07:20 PM on 03/09/2008
Money corrupts? Good point, though. There is something more compelling about this case than just the sleaze factor.

I look forward to reading your take on it.
10:32 AM on 03/09/2008
In the hypercompetitive envirorment that exists in Hollywood, it is no wonder some used guys like Pellicano to get their way by getting info that could be used to keep actors, producers, writers, craft unions and other studio heads 'in their place'. Add to this the huge amounts of money at stake and it meant some would use any means necessary including using guys like Pellicano using violent, threating and illegal tactics. His trial is important as it will rip open a part of Hollywood that has been kept too quiet for generations. Pellicano went too far with too many who were willing to fight back and now he and his clients will pay the price.
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peterg76
Freelance medical transcriptionist
08:18 PM on 03/08/2008
"[W]hy did so many rich, famous and respected people in this town seek out Mr. Pellicano to do their dirty work?"

They say word of mouth is the most effective endorsement....
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07:54 PM on 03/08/2008
Yes, this aspect is rather fascinating. It is not a healthy commentary on our judicial system that they "need" people who are de-facto criminals themselves quite possibly. I think many people harbor thoughts of revenge, all the time. these people had the money and they had a willing enabler to provide the service. As many of our most celebrated films have shown, there is no limit to people's capacity to indulge themselves. It is no surprise that this happens. The really novel and great thing would be is to hear these people answer that question. It is certain that the majority of them must have known and even hoped for illegal acts to get what they wanted. There are so many people with money and power in society that could do GOOD things, but they never do. I would be interested to see a breakdown of the witness by the amount of money they spent on this detective VS the amount of money they spent to charity or some other good thing.
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05:32 PM on 03/08/2008
Tony "The Intimidator" Pellicano ran around LA and implied that he was a "made guy" in the Mob, when he was just a glorified computer nerd. He did, however, scrare the crap out of people, and that's why the rich and famous hired him. I always thought he was a self-centered prick who was famous for being famous.

Oh, and the people he "imtimidated" were all women! He didn't stand up to men and was very careful not to get into confontations with anyone packing a dick.

One case in point: Shortly after Heidi Fleiss got her tit caught in the microwringer, two of her girls showed up at a party and were asked to leave. The next morning, on a Sunday, pencil-peepee Pelicano showed up at their house, dressed like a goombah in a jogging suit with about 100 gold necklaces and told these girls that if they ever contacted the party-giver again, he would hurt their faces-if I remember correctly, he threatened an acid attack! Of course, there is no evidence that he ever followed through on a threat.

This is why he lost power in LA, and was eventually nailed-people had figured him out.

There is one interesting story about him. There has been a persisten rumor that he was watching Nicole Brown's house the night of the murders, looking for Faye Resnik. The rumor, which I heard within a few days of the killings, was that TP was working for a client (a married man who had an affair with Resnik ) that wanted to send a message to the dope-addict Resnick to stay out of the client's life.
03:52 PM on 03/08/2008
Why? Good question. I'm sure not every one of these notables were running on crack-induced fumes of paranoia, but maybe a couple were. Maybe three. OK, four. I'm trying to be optimistic.
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scottellington
02:52 PM on 03/08/2008
To my mind, there's no need to amplify the significance of this trial. The writers' strike has awakened me to the connectedness of power, art and influence locked in constant turmoil. As these reports unfold, I expect to learn a great deal about the manner in which business-as-usual has been conducted in the other Entertainment Capitol of the World, Hollywood. Unlike Las Vegas, what happens in Hollywood goes everywhere, and the fascinating history of the Pellicano Information Network is a story that promotes itself.