Hollywood abuzz as private eye trial begins

US: THE LIST reads like the credit roll from a 1980s movie: Sylvester Stallone, Farrah Fawcett and Keith Carradine. Instead they are the name that stand out from a five-page list of witnesses released yesterday by prosecutors at the start of the long-awaited trial of Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano.

The 127 names also include comedians Chris Rock and Garry Shandling, as well as Hollywood divorce lawyers and studio executives, among them the former or current heads of Disney, Universal and Paramount, all due to take the stand in the eight-week racketeering and wiretapping trial.

The prospect of some of Hollywood's most connected figures testifying under oath about their relationship with Mr Pellicano has kept Tinseltown abuzz with speculation.

Mr Pellicano (63), with four other defendants, is charged with running a criminal enterprise that involved placing illegal taps on his clients' enemies and opponents. If convicted on all charges, he faces a jail term of up to 625 years.

"This is a case about corruption," said prosecution lawyer Kevin Lally, launching the case yesterday. Clients "would pay a premium fee to discredit, and in some cases destroy, their adversaries".

The case began almost six years ago in typical Hollywood-noir fashion: a dead fish and a rose left on the windscreen of a reporter's car along with a note bearing the single word "Stop".

In questioning the jury Mr Pellicano, who is representing himself, gave some indication of the area the trial might cover. "Is there anyone here who has preconceived notions of what a private investigator does?" he asked the jury. If they hired a private eye, he continued, would they "like them to bend the law"? That suggestion is the core of the case against him.

The fish was left on the windscreen of a then Los Angeles Times reporter who investigators linked to Mr Pellicano and his client, former Disney president Michael Ovitz. Prosecutors allege that after discussing who might be the source of bad press about Mr Ovitz, the accused engaged in a criminal enterprise with an LAPD detective and a telephone company employee to gather information about the LA Times reporter.

Mr Ovitz, in common with other clients represented by Mr Pellicano, has denied any knowledge of illegal wiretaps.

The only person to confess to being aware of Mr Pellicano's allegedly illegal tactics has been Die Hard director John McTiernan, who was charged with lying to investigators about his knowledge that the accused was illegally bugging one of his former producers. McTiernan was sentenced to four months in prison and is appealing over his guilty plea.

Sandra Will Carradine, ex-wife of actor Keith Carradine and ex-girlfriend of Mr Pellicano, has also pleaded guilty to lying to the authorities about the private investigator's methods during her divorce from the actor. She is expected to testify. -

© 2008 Guardian Service

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times