I'm still awaiting a verdict in the Phil Spector trial…waiting to see if he's acquitted and I go on my long-discussed killing spree. Illness has befallen the jury and in the last eight days, they've only deliberated about 30 hours. That's about 29 hours and fifty minutes more than seems necessary to me but maybe they're padding their parts, playing Old Maid in there while they make it look like they're giving Spector the benefit of every possible doubt. Or maybe they just want more of those big $5-a-day checks. The way the economy's going these days, you never know.
Actually, even if Spector is found Not Guilty, he's already consigned to a certain kind of prison. For years, he's been notorious in his field as a dangerous maniac…but he was a dangerous maniac who was tolerated and accepted because he had money. More effectively, he was involved in projects that could make you a lot of money if you were around him. Folks in most businesses (not just show biz) will tolerate a lot of insanity in their midst if it comes with fame and/or fortune, especially fortune. News reports say Spector has spent just about every nickel he had on his defense. As a producer, his career was already on the downslide and, I dunno…I have the feeling that today's music superstars will not be rushing to work with him on future projects.
This is, oddly enough, not something that pleases me a lot. Innocent people sometimes wind up on trial and even if they're cleared, their lives and bank accounts are destroyed. I don't think Spector is innocent or anything close to it but the judicial system still shouldn't work that way. If you are acquitted, you ought to get at least most of your life back.