Judge Lets the Public In On Letterman Evidence

A Connecticut judge authorizes the release of search warrants related to police raids on the home of David Letterman's alleged extortionist

David Letterman is no stranger to Americans' living rooms. Now he'll have to get used to viewers being in his.

After getting the OK from a judge, authorities in Norwalk, Conn., unsealed search warrants this afternoon related to police raids on the home of Letterman's alleged blackmailer.

And what they found was quite revealing. According to the document signed by NYPD detectives Terrence Blake and Anthony Pasquarielao, investigators' search of Robert "Joe" Halderman's residence targeted "any and all computers and loose media, floppy disk, hard disc, cassette tapes, magnetic tapes, removable media, tape and/or data cartridges."

Looks like they had their own Top Ten list.

Per the affidavit, the Emmy-winning CBS News producer sent the funnyman's attorney a package which included a demand letter, treatment for a screenplay which he purportedly hoped to sell, exposing Letterman's illicit in-office affair, as well as "personal correspondence, telephone records and photos." Halderman also threw in copies of a diary kept by Stephanie Birkitt, his ex-girlfriend and the Late Show employee at the center of the scandal.

"In the letter, Halderman states he needs to make a large chunk of money by selling...client #1 a screenplay treatment," reads the warrant. "The documents then describes that client #1's world is about to collapse as information about his private life is disclosed leading to a ruined reputation and severe damage to his career and family life."

Detective Pasquariello states in the documents that Letterman's lawyer, James Jackoway, told him Halderman "demanded $2 million to ensure the information in the screenplay treatment and supporting materials would not be made public."

The 48 Hours Mystery man has pleaded innocent to one count of attempted first degree grand larceny, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Bail has been set at $200,000.

Last week, Norwalk prosecutor Suzanne Vieux filed a motion objecting to the warrants' release, arguing that disclosing such information could not only put witnesses named in the documents under the intense media microscope but also harm the government's case against Halderman.

However Norwalk Superior Court Judge Bruce Hudok disagreed and authorized they be made public this morning as long as precautions were taken to protect the identities of the witnesses by blacking out their identities so they don’t' become "victims of association."