O.J. Simpson did it. Robert Blake did it. Does Phil Spector have it in him?
To win an acquittal, that is.
Jury selection in Spector's long-delayed murder trial kicked off Monday in Los Angeles.
If convicted, the music producer faces 15 years to life for the shooting death of B-movie star Lana Clarkson. If acquitted, Spector becomes, after Simpson and Blake, the third modern-day show-business notable to foil murder-charging California prosecutors.
Here's a preview of the case:
The Defendant: Spector, a 67-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Class of 1989, who made his name in the 1960s as the producer on hits such as "He's a Rebel," "Be My Baby" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."
The Victim: Clarkson, a 40-year-old actor who achieved cult fame in the 1980s in the Roger Corman sword-and-bikini epics Barbarian Queen and Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back.
The Fateful Night: The pre-dawn hours of Feb. 3, 2003. Spector hits Los Angeles' famed Sunset Strip and rolls into the House of Blues, where Clarkson works as a hostess. The two, who have not previously met, leave the club together at 2:15 a.m., reports say. At 5 a.m., Clarkson is found lying shot to death on the marble foyer of Spector's castle in Alhambra, California.
The Alleged Murder Weapon: A .38 Colt revolver.
The Prosecution Story: Spector put the .38 in Clarkson's mouth and pulled the trigger.
The Defense Story: Spector is innocent.
The Defense Story That Jurors May Not Be Able to Hear: Clarkson was drunk, decided to take her own life and "kissed the gun," per Spector in the July 2003 Esquire. Under a 2005 pretrial ruling, the defense can only offer this version of events if Spector himself takes the stand.
The Arrest: Spector is booked the same day of Clarkson's death. A formal murder charge is filed in November 2003, with a grand-jury indictment following in September 2004. Spector enters an innocent plea each time.
The Bail: $1 million, a bargain considering the amount has kept Spector out of custody for more than four years.
Just Like O.J.: Cameras have been permitted inside the courtroom. But don't look for gavel-to-gavel coverage until at least April 30 when opening arguments are tentatively scheduled to begin.
Slow Start: On Monday and Tuesday, the court's going to be looking for a pool of Spector peers who can serve on a trial that could last up to three months. After, the proceedings will break until prospective jurors return Apr. 16 for in-court questioning, according to L.A. County District spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.
What Else Is in Store for Jurors? If history is any judge, a possible dressing down. After Blake's 2005 acquittal, L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley called the jurors "incredibly stupid."
Death-Penalty Case? No. Prosecutors are not alleging the Clarkson shooting was premeditated and are proceeding as if the matter were a second-degree murder, Gibbons says.
Not Just Like O.J.: Simpson faced a first-degree murder charge, as did Blake. Neither man faced the death penalty as prosecutors declined to pursue special-circumstances charges.
Just Like O.J., Part 2: Spector has been named in a wrongful-death lawsuit by Clarkson's mother, Donna Clarkson. Simpson faced a similar suit by his alleged victims' families. Blake also was sued by his late wife's survivors. Simpson and Blake were both found liable in civil courts.
Not Just Like O.J., Part 2: While Simpson was regarded as the most famous person to ever be charged with murder, Spector prosecutors argued in a 2004 hearing that the Grammy-winner is virtually anonymous to people who came of age after his heyday. Spector's defense begged to differ, calling the producer a "musical icon all over the world."
The Hair Seen 'Round the World: Spector assured that his name, and mane, would be heeded when he attended a 2005 hearing wearing a large frizzy Chia Pet, or something that resembled such.
The Courtroom Players: Bruce Cutler, defense attorney; Patrick Dixon and Alan Jackson, prosecutors; Larry P. Fidler, judge.
Where You've Seen Cutler Before: Perhaps in a cameo as himself in the 2001 Robert De Niro movie 15 Minutes or perhaps costarring as the defense attorney in mobster John Gotti's trials of the 1980s.
Other Potential Key Players/Moments: Adriano De Souza, the Spector chauffeur who allegedly heard the gunshot and witnessed Spector exit the castle with a gun uttering, "I think I just shot her"; Beatrice Rodriguez, the Alhambra police officer who allegedly said she heard Spector say, "I didn't mean to shoot her. It was an accident"; prosecution evidence that will try to establish Spector has a talent for waving guns at women.
Speaking of Castles...Why Is There One in Alhambra, California? According to an article on the City of Alhambra's Website, a French-born sheepherder grew lonesome for the old country and decided to build something that reminded him of home.
And Speaking of Alhambra, California...Exactly Where Is That? To put it in universal terms, it's about four or so miles southeast of the Rose Parade. Or, about nine miles northeast of the courthouse.
What the Ronettes Have to Say About This: Absolutely nothing. At Monday's Class of 2007 induction ceremony, members of the girl group—the ultimate showcase for Spector's so-called "Wall of Sound"—did not once reference the producer. Lead singer Ronnie Spector, Spector's ex-wife, presumably said what she had to say in her 1990 autobiography when she wrote that the mogul kept her a "prisoner" in their home.