Accused Letterman Extortionist: It Was Business, Not Blackmail

Attorney for Letterman suspect asks judge to dismiss the charges, insists authorities are misguided

If you ask the man accused of trying to blackmail David Letterman, he's the victim of a stupid human trick, nothing more.

Which explains why the attorney for suspect Robert "Joe" Halderman has asked a New York judge to dismiss his extortion charges, claiming that Halderman's desire to sell the Late Show host a screenplay treatment about Letterman's sexual liaisons amounted to nothing more than a "pure commercial transaction."

In a motion filed today at Halderman's first appearance in a Manhattan court, defense counsel Gerald Shargel asked that the attempted first-degree grand larceny charge against the 48 Hours Mystery man be dropped on the grounds that the case was being driven by "sensationalism" and the grand jury did not have all the facts to indict him.

"The sensationalism surrounding this indictment, fueled by the celebrity of the purported victim and the deference paid to that celebrity by the district attorney's office, has swallowed the only pertinent issue," wrote Shargel.

In fact, Shargel maintains, his client should be applauded, not punished.

The lawyer insists that Halderman heroically uncovered Letterman's workplace affairs that "amounted to actionable sexual harassment."

Instead, the attorney argues, the Emmy-winning CBS News producer was merely attempting to interest the host in a screenplay and was entrapped. The $2 million asking price was just a market value.

And what's wrong with a little capitalism?

Considering how all that evidence is actually in Halderman's favor, Shargel made the expeced move of asking the judge to toss certain evidence collected by investigators, including photos, personal correspondence, a one-page screenplay synopsis and Halderman's copy of a diary belonging to his ex-girlfriend and Letterman's personal assistant, Stephanie Birkitt, in which she revealed her long-running sexual relationship with the host.

Meanwhile, some of Halderman's CBS colleagues are sticking up for the 51-year-old producer, who is out on $200,000 bail and has been suspended from his job at the network pending the case's resolution.

Dr. Bob Arnot expressed disbelief that the man he's known for more than a decade might hatch an extortion scheme, and that there should be a presumption of innocence.

"What is not being talked about...is what really happened between Letterman's lawyer and Joe in those sessions before the one that was taped," Arnot told Good Morning America this morning.

While Halderman's camp tries to spin its side, the prosecutors argue the case is pretty clear-cut: the twice-divorced producer needed big bucks to keep up with his $6,800 monthly alimony and child support. The stress from those financial obligations caused him to do something drastic.