Was Pellicano’s Self-Defense A Good Idea?
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Uh. No.
Disgraced ‘Hollywood P.I.’ Anthony Pellicano got shafted in a big way by the jury in his long battle against criminal charges for unscrupulous methods in his shady celebrity P.I. business. Pellicano was found guilty of 76 of the 77 racketeering, wiretapping, and conspiracy charges brought against him. Though he won’t be sentenced until September 24, he could face a 20 year sentence from one racketeering charge alone. It took the judge over an hour to read the verdict.
Many legal professionals, most forcibly in the New York Times piece about the verdict, have noted how anticlimactic the end of this massive case really is. The prosecution never really attempted to go above Pellicano and try to implicate his clients - all of whom have strongly asserted that they ‘had no idea’ Pellicano was using such tactics. Yeah, it must have been his charm and wit that sent Hollywood’s elite straight to his slimy doorstep…