Keeping an eye on the Phil Spector retrial

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A few readers have sent notes along the lines of that sent by Gretchen Armato of Santa Barbara, who asked by e-mail: ‘I would like to know why the paper is no longer reporting on the Phil Spector trial. I enjoyed your coverage of the last trial and am very interested in the current one as well. Will you be reporting on it any time soon?’

Spector is accused of killing actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion Feb. 3, 2003; the first trial ended in a jury deadlock in September 2007. From coverage of the opening statements in April 2007 to the Sept. 27 piece reporting that jurors failed to reach a verdict, The Times published more than 100 news articles.

Times coverage of Spector’s retrial started again in mid-October with selection of new jury. Trial No. 2 is turning out to be a bit more of the same, but The Times is still keeping an eye on it, says California Editor David Lauter. His e-mail response to readers asking for more on the Spector trial follows.

‘We’ve run eight stories on the Phil Spector retrial, including one which ran on Page 1on Dec. 1. So I wouldn’t say we’re no longer reporting on it. But it is true that we’re covering this second trial less intensively than the first, largely because there’s not much new to say. By and large, the same witnesses are recounting the same testimony. Our reporter, Harriet Ryan, has been watching the trial on many days, and we have been writing news stories when news occurs. She’s also been looking for opportunities to step back and write about what’s different this time around -- that was the focus of the Page 1 story last month. We’ll continue to do that and write as the news warrants.’

Below are other news stories on the retrial:

Website photos of Phil Spector critic illegal, judge says (Dec. 18)

Second Phil Spector trial begins (Oct. 30)

Spector’s defense attorney raises new character issues (Nov. 5)

Spector jury set for opening statements (Oct. 28)

Testimony on misogynistic comments will be part of Phil Spector’s murder retrial (Oct. 21)

Jurors can hear of Spector threats (Sept. 17)