Even though it's half a country away, the Phil Spector trial became an issue briefly Thursday in the Family Secrets trial.
Spector is the famous record producer charged with killing a restaurant hostess in his home. The jury in his case earlier this week informed the judge they were unable to come to a decision, sparking a firestorm of public criticism.
So how would that affect the Family Secrets jury?
That's what defense attorneys in the case wanted to know.
Joseph R. Lopez, the defense attorney for reputed Outfit killer Frank Calabrese Sr., noted that even Jay Leno made a joke about the hung Spector jury last night on his show.
Lopez wanted to find out if the jury felt pressure to reach a decision on the sentencing findings that are before them. Jurors have to decide which out of the four defendants, if any, comitted 18 mob murders.
Calabrese Sr. alone is accused of 13 of them.
But U.S. District Judge James Zagel wasn't buying it.
Zagel said ever since the O.J. Simpson case, people called to serve on juries are well aware that their decisions, in prominent cases, can attract criticism.
"I don't think there's any reason to voir dire the jury because Jay Leno made a joke," Zagel said.
Sounds like Lopez was just looking for a reason to get his name in the paper during a slow week.
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