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Spector's trial for murder collapses

Andrew Gumbel
Wednesday 26 September 2007 19:00 EDT
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After five months of trial testimony and more than 43 hours of jury deliberations, the Phil Spector murder trial ended yesterday as the jury deadlocked for the second time in a week and the judge declared a mistrial.

The legendary record producer is now likely to have to go through the whole circus again, as the Los Angeles district attorney announced his intention to stage a second trial. He still hopes to convince a jury that Spector was responsible for the death of a struggling actress Lana Clarkson. She was found with a bullet in her head in the foyer of his fake Pyrenean chateau in 2003.

At a hearing on 3 October the district attorney will also consider charging him with lesser crimes. Judge Larry Fidler asked each juror if there was any hope of reaching a verdict and each of them replied: "No." they told the court they were split 10 votes to 2, but did not say which way they were leaning. Last week, when they first deadlocked, they were split 7 to 5.

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