May 23. 2006 9:40PM
Prosecutors: Defense responsible media leaks in Pellicano case
The Associated Press
Defense attorneys are responsible for leaking confidential FBI
summaries to the media in a Hollywood wiretapping case, federal
prosecutors argued in court documents.
Prosecutors
said articles citing FBI interviews with Hollywood power brokers didn't
start showing up in the New York Times until after information had been
turned over to defense attorneys as part of the pretrial discovery
process. Because a protective order may have been violated, the U.S.
Justice Department has launched an investigation to determine who
leaked the details.
"The protective order was materially
breached when at least one of the members of the defense team provided
material produced by the government to the New York Times," prosecutors
said in court documents filed late Monday.
"Given that such
information was released to the press in violation of the protective
order within a matter of days from its dissemination to the defense, it
is plainly apparent that the stipulation was entered into by at least
one party who had no intention of being bound by its terms."
A
number of defense lawyers said at a court hearing earlier this month
that neither they nor their clients were responsible for the leaks.
Fourteen people have been charged so far in the wiretapping
investigation, which began more than three years ago. Six people have
pleaded guilty.
One defense attorney suggested in an interview Tuesday that the government could not be ruled out as the source of the leaks.
"All
of the members of the various defense teams have denied leaking any of
the information," said defense attorney Terree Bowers, who represents
Terry Christensen, a longtime attorney for MGM mogul Kirk Kerkorian.
Christensen has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy and one
count of intercepting wire communications.
"There are just as many indicators that the leaks may have come from the government camp," Bowers added.
Private
investigator Anthony Pellicano is suspected of being the kingpin of a
ring that used threats and blackmail while digging up dirt to help
celebrity and other clients in legal disputes.
http://www.dailycomet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060523/APN/605231142