Catch The Bulldog tonight On WTTW-TV Chicago, Channel 11

The Dean of Chicago’s Crime Reporters, John Drummond will be seen Wednesday, June 20 at 7 p.m.

Organized crime expert John Drummond will talk with Carol Marin on Chicago Tonight. They will discuss what to expect during the “Family Secrets”trial, and what may be learned about the Chicago Outfit.

Chicago Tonight airs weekdays at 7 p.m., with repeats at 1 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. The staff is dedicated to providing coverage of current events in Chicago and issues of importance to the city.

For more information, check out their website at: http://www.wttw.com/chicagotonight

What’s The Real Reason Behind Sara Caplan’s refusal To Testify?

Caplan freely testified against Phil Spector in earlier motion hearings. To call that irregular is an understatement since Caplan was in fact, a Spector defense team lawyer violating her attorney client relationship with Spector.

Now Caplan won’t testify before the jury about those very same facts and has now been found in contempt of court. What’s the big deal now you ask? The cat’s out of the bag as Caplan accused premier forensics expert Dr. Henry Lee of tampering with phantom evidence. That information and accusation was revealed during cross-examination by a Spector defense lawyer at the motion hearing.

The reason Caplan is a former lawyer is simple to explain since she was part of the Robert Shapiro team fired and sued by Phil Spector. Shapiro kept a million dollar retainer paid by Spector he did not earn.

The prosecutions's phantom evidence is the “Missing Link” that would connect Spector to the death of Lana Clarkson. If this item, suggested, to be a broken fingernail really existed and wishfully contained “bullet wipe” the prosecution contends that it would somehow show Clarkson’s death was no suicide. The key word here is, if. This is nothing more than a prosecutor’s red herring injected into a case where there is no physical evidence to support criminal charges against record producer, Phil Spector.

A serious fact not to be overlooked is that the cops and their CSI teams already examined, photographed, collected all their evidence and turned over the death scene to Mr. Spector and his lawyers. This alone should clear up the issue of whether or not the fingernail exists.

Dr. Lee has vehemently denied the existence of the supposed fingernail or collecting anything similar. Dr. Lee is expected to testify for the Spector defense and we’ve not heard the last of allegations of misconduct directed at both sides of this case.


Now comes yet another character to shed light on this inquiry, Zvonko “Bill” Pavelic. Bill Pavelic is a now retired, career LAPD cop who has a lot to say about prosecutorial misconduct in the Phil Spector case. Pavelic was retained to work with the Shapiro team who now calls Sara Caplan a liar, perjurer and someone who is trying to destroy Dr. Lee’s reputation.

Pavelic has in his possession photographs of retired Los Angeles Sheriff’s detective, Stanley White with Sara Caplan in the foyer area of Spector’s home (the death scene) taken on February 4, 2007. Sara Caplan testified that White was not present in the foyer area. These photos have been turned over to Spector’s current defense team, Cutler, Rosen, & et al.

Bill Pavelic has outlined his information on his website: http://www.billpavelic.com/current/sara-caplan/

Had Sara Caplan testified as ordered she knew full well that her lack of candor would be exposed perhaps ending her career as a lawyer. Perjury charges may yet surface against Caplan.

I’m still waiting for any evidence to show that Phil Spector killed anyone. The Spector trial is turning into a huge fiasco where I have predicted all along that Spector will be cleared. I can’t help but remind folks that just like Mark Furhman in the O.J. Simpson case the crimes of the accusers will be exposed.

Lawyer Sara Caplan Held In Contempt at Spector Trial

Former Spector criminal defense team member, Sara Caplan testified against Spector out of presence of the jury in earlier proceedings but now refused to answer similar questions in front of the jury. Judge Fidler has stayed execution of Caplan’s penalty pending full higher court appeals.

The impact against Spector is that Caplan will now be ruled as “unavailable” by Judge Fidler and prosecutors will be able to simply read Caplan’s earlier testimony to the jury.

This was just another bizarre twist in this spectacle happening in the courtroom of Larry Paul Fidler. The legal proceedings against Phil Spector have carried so much unnecessary baggage I can’t see how it will end in anything but a mistrial.

Disbar Mike Nifong

I called for strong action against this poor excuse for a lawyer who played a dangerous race card to win re-election as the top prosecutor in Durham, NC. Nifong is on trial for his law license before the NC State Bar.

Aside from any attorney rules he violated, Nifong took an oath to uphold the Constitutions of both the United States and North Carolina and violated them. Instead of prosecuting the guilty and seeking justice he set out on a path to bankrupt three families and destroy the lives of three innocent men.

Nifong knew what he was doing was wrong and did it anyway. Nifong deserves more than disbarment, a lot more.

Nifong reminds me of another rogue prosecutor who was deservedly disbarred by the name of Kenneth Jack Peasley.

Criminalist Testifies In Spector Case

Today Los Angeles County Sheriff’s criminalist, Steve Renteria who specializes in forensic DNA work testified. He suggested that something or someone blocked the blood spray from Ms. Clarkson. ( I guess that someone is Phil Spector who’s white dinner jacket has a very small amount of blood spray on it.) The problem here is a lack of blood spray on Stector’s jacket sleeves.

Renteria went on to say that Clarkson’s DNA was all over the gun from handling it and there was none of Phil Spector’s. The suggestion here was hat Spector somehow removed his own DNA and not Clarkson’s. Spector must have one incredible DNA lab to manufacture selective DNA samples like that!

It does look like Spector may well have cleaned some blood up but this suggested clean up job was well beyond the ability of any mortal man. When criminals tamper with crime scene evidence they for the most part dig themselves in a vast forensic hole.

If you get blood on your hands from trying to help an injured person it is considered a serious biohazard that needs to be cleaned from your hands and other skin. That’s not evidence tampering but simple self-preservation.

I’m still waiting for real evidence that Spector killed anyone at all. Please, wake me up if you hear any in Judge Fidler’s Courtroom.

Bernsen Cleared Of Sex Charges!

Okay, I told you so! The accusers and their stories were bogus. Rod Bernsen was acquitted by a federal court jury today. I predicted this result since this story had the smell of prosecutors seeking fame by prosecuting the famous.

Bernsen now has the toughest task of his life. He must try and regain his stellar reputation and hear from old friends that seem to have forgotten his telephone number since he was falsely branded as a child molester by the two Utah cousins. I don’t know if anyone can ever recover from what Bernsen was put through since this ordeal began.

One thing everyone needs to remember the cost of bail bondsmen and lawyers bankrupts most people accused of these kinds of crimes. I hope to see Bernsen who now lives in Colorado back doing some of the things he loved such as TV reporting and law enforcement work.


An update:
This evening I got a call from Rod Bernsen who I’ve never met. He told me that when he was really at a low point facing these horrible lies he stumbled onto my blog. Bernsen said that he got a real lift to learn that not everyone accepted the Utah boy’s fables. That lift helped Bernsen cope with the most difficult chapter of his life he has ever faced

Bernsen also told me that his lawyer, James Epstein who was a friend did this case spending no less than 500 hours refused to take more than one dollar to defend him. There were costs for bail and a second lawyer to deal with federal court practice and of course an investigator. The lion’s share of this was one terrific and generous gift from a real friend.

We’ve not heard the last from Rod Bernsen who seems to have somehow sidestepped the bitterness of this experience. We will just have to see what’s next for this fellow who has retired twice now.

To Rod Bernsen, I say I only did my part as a blogger shining a little light on something that to not look right to me. I will sleep well tonight.

I Have A Complaint To file Against A Judge

I have reflected for beyond 24 hours and am so offended by Judge Sauer's conduct I intend to make this complaint to the California Commission on judicial Performance Monday:

RE: Complaint against Judge Michael T Sauer

Dear Sirs:

My complaint against Judge Michael T Sauer of the Los Angeles Superior court in the matter of The People of the State of California vs. Paris Hilton, Los Angeles Superior Court Case # 6MP09160RM is as follows:

Judge Sauer knows Paris Hilton is a major celebrity who was and is represented by counsel. I can’t address all of what happened the morning of June 8, 2007, but its abundantly clear Ms. Hilton did not cause the incredible events of that day.

Paris Hilton had been convicted for DUI, driving on a suspended license and has violated her probation. She may well have deserved punishment and the jail term that Judge Sauer gave her.

Ms. Hilton surrendered and began her sentence and for whatever reason, Sheriff Lee Baca intervened three days into Ms. Hilton’s jail stay and took it upon himself to release Ms. Hilton to house arrest and electronic monitoring despite Judge Sauer’s commitment order. It is not Paris Hilton’s fault that the L.A. County Sheriff sent her home. The fact is that it happened and no escape was involved. Ms. Hilton never went into hiding from Judge Sauer’s authority.

In what I can only describe as a grotesque and medieval exercise Judge Sauer publically ordered the Sheriff to pick up Ms. Hilton at her home and have her transported to his court. This was all too similar to the 17th century European practice of taking a manacled prisoner in a horse drawn cart through the town square. This was done so the hostile crowds could throw rotten vegetables at the hapless miscreant being delivered to a place of execution for some infamous crime that was committed.

Judge Sauer had plenty of civilized judicial options to deal with Ms. Hilton that would not have turned the Los Angeles Superior Court into a venue such as the ancient Roman Coliseum putting on a cruel show visible to all in every country of this earth. There were no exigent circumstances to prevent the flight of a dangerous felon or even Ms. Hilton.

Judge Sauer set out to make major international news and knew full well what would happen. As a result of his conduct Judge Sauer now basks in the lime light of new found fame in Ms. Hilton’s shadow as some sort of judicial hero. Ms. Hilton was subjected to unnecessary, horrific humiliation, scorn and ridicule.

Had Judge Sauer somehow forgotten that Ms. Hilton surrendered to the court’s jurisdiction and later to the jail to begin her sentence? Judge Sauer has brought discredit to all of his fellow judges and turned the Los Angeles Superior Court, halls of justice into a circuis.

As a result of Judge Sauer’s cruel handling of Ms. Hilton she has suffered a hundred times the amount of punishment of any other person convicted of similar crimes. The actions of Judge Sauer violated the rights of Paris Hilton under the Sixth Amendment of The United States Constitution that protects all Americans from cruel or unusual punishment. Judge Sauer should be removed from his position on the bench of the California Superior Court.

Sincerely,



Paul Huebl

Paris Hilton is NOT Anyone’s Equal

The political concept that all men are created equal is the big hope and outright lie in our world. That’s really never the case. Karl Marx tried to artificially force equal wealth but the loopholes exist for Communist leaders who are above all others without even the inconvenience of standing for elections.

Teaching children that we are all equal sets them up for a lifetime of disappointment and anger as others are smarter, slimmer, better looking and of course richer. The fact is we all were not born beautiful with generous lifetime trust funds. Some of us have to work harder than others for what we get in life. Some of us are rich enough or smart enough to figure ways of avoiding the stress connected with simply getting food to eat and our rent paid.

Paris Hilton seems to have gotten everything but except good judgment from her maker. The DUI arrest, driving while her license was suspended along with her violation of probation mess was certainly avoidable. She has the cash and lots of fair weather pals to drive her anywhere she wants to go. Now she’s in a mess. I don’t know too many people that would not like to trade their troubles and assets with Hilton. But for Hilton I suspect this is a huge and very public disaster in her life. A disaster that will ultimately bring her more money she does not really need. I suspect she could do without worldwide attention to her mistakes and term in the pokey.

Paris Hilton lives in a goldfish bowl and lost whatever privacy that could have existed for her. Privacy is an important form of freedom. Paris is less equal to the rest of us in other very important ways.

Can someone please tell me what Ms. Hilton could possibly have done to deserve to have her private medical history, mental health treatment and medication to become the topic of front page international news?

Most girls Paris’ age are somewhat emotionally fragile and I now question whether the additional punishment of the spectacle is cruel and unusual. As for Paris all I can say to her, this too shall pass.

Women Never Shoot Themselves In The Head!

"In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide." Those were the last words of TV anchor/reporter Christine Chubbuck before she raised a .38 snub-nosed revolver to her head and shot herself live on television. This happened one July morning at WXLT-TV in Sarasota, FL in 1974.

Chubbic placed the gun behind her right ear in a very unusual position. Had there not been videotape my guess is cops may well have made someone a murder suspect.

I love hearing so-called reporters saying women never take their own lives that way, while commenting about the Lana Clarkson death and the Phil Spector murder trial.

I have seen many photos of women who killed themselves in this fashion. Women often leap to their deaths from tall buildings making a grand and unfashionable mess on public sidewalks. Where did this new bogus myth come from? Who made that garbage up?

Why We Solve Far Fewer Homicides In America These Days

When I was a young cop I was astounded to learn that homicides were cleared somewhere around 85%. Who would dare commit a murder with those lousy odds? Capitol punishment was still a reality before that Fuhrman vs. Georgia execution moratorium nearly ended the death penalty for good.

Then came the mid 1980s and the clearance rate for murders began dropping. The murder clearance rate steadily decreased to around 36% where it stands today.

I bet you’re thinking criminals are smarter today and better at avoiding discovery? Not a chance the killers were never very smart nor careful and actually taking steps to hide evidence.

But now we have DNA, high resolution surveillance cameras everywhere, data tracking for every little purchase we make, cell phone cell site data and even GPS gizmos tracking us everywhere we go. We are unintentionally creating airtight alibis for our usual suspects we used to arrest and convict.

The robbery or rape victim turned eyewitness pointed out the suspect in some courtroom and the case used to be all over. Today suspect can quickly tell the cops that he was at the Burger King drive through, bought gas, a bottle of wine and some smokes at a 7-11 store many miles away at the exact time of the crime and prove it without difficulty.

DNA and fingerprints found at crime scenes are often meaningless because suspects are known to their victims and are often guests in their homes. More often than not DNA is clearing wrongly fingered suspects rather than implicating the guilty.

There is a sad truth and that is perhaps as many as half of the people we convicted may well have been innocent of the crime for which they were accused.

Risky behavior and relationships engaged by marginal, throwaway type people make them right to do the time for someone else’s crime. Equally sad is the guilty get away with their crimes and commit more.

The Politics Of Elephant Ivory

I’ve always been fond of elephants and their coveted ivory. My friends at Eagle Grips have offered ivory over the years based on availability and price for top of the line gun grips. Ivory has a special warmth and incredible strength that makes it the very best gun grip material on our planet.

Then came the embargos created in an alleged effort to protect the endangered elephant. The embargos were nothing more than a grand scheme for corrupt Third World, government officials to create a monopoly on clandestine trading and artificially high prices. The end result of the embargos was to make the slaughter of these fine animals even more profitable.

Elephants die and their ivory is harvested without upsetting the balance of nature. Most of us want to protect these awesome and majestic creatures but ivory trade bans only make poaching more profitable and prevalent.

Where does Eagle Grips get their ivory you ask? This is yet another sad story. The now grown children of America’s legendary big game hunters of the 1950s have been selling off their dad’s ivory trophies for big cash. Too often that cash has been used to support narcotic addictions of these sellers.

Here’s a recent ABC news offering on this subject.

Lana Clarkson Had Way Too Many Snakes In Her Head

Out of presence of the jury during court arguments Spector defense lawyers revealed key issues about the dead woman. A detailed summary of Lana Clarkson's mental state issues at the time of her death was exposed. The shocking material came from Clarkson's medical records, diary, writings, e-mails and from various witness statements. There is now little doubt that all of this information will be presented to the jury during this trial.

These issues came up during the L.A. County medical examiner, Dr. Louis Pena's cross-examination by Spector lawyer, Christopher Plourd. That information was kept away from the medical examiner by both cops and prosecutors until after Clarkson's death was ruled as a homicide.

It's obvious that the coroner's office dropped the ball by their failure to do a psychological autopsy on Ms. Clarkson. The Cotoner's homicide ruling was clearly crafted and controlled by the cops and prosecutors who were hiding important evidence.

1. Lana Clarkson made it clear she was considering killing herself.

2. Clarkson was unable to pay the rent at her small Venice apartment.

3. Clarkson suffered from hallucinations involving an un-named but real failed actress who killed herself with a gun.

4. Clarkson battled with alcohol and substance addiction taking 10 narcotic pills per day.

5. Clarkson was obsessed with Marilyn Monroe, had won a role playing Monroe and lost the role because of personal misconduct and hallucinations.

6. Clarkson was familiar with and fond of firearms.

7. Clarkson was deeply in debt.

8. Clarkson sought alternative psychiatric assistance for her mental health issues just before her death.

I have a simple question... Did Clarkson find an great opportunity to engineer a memorable exit at famed record producer Phil Spector's home?

Chicago Corruption Book Is Coming To The Silver Screen

Chicago cop, turned fixer lawyer, turned mob-wrecking government witness, Bob Cooley is about to make another big splash. Cooley’s book, WHEN CORRUPTION WAS KING got picked up on a feature film option deal last week in Hollywood. It was never a question of if, but rather than when the persona of many of Chicago’s incredibly sleazy public officials would grace your local cinema houses.

The rich marriage of characters left over from Al Capone’s mob, Chicago’s politicians, bureaucrats and cops were laid out in this continuing Cooley soap opera that make television’s Sopranos seem lackluster and tame.

As someone who knew the majority of the players in Cooley’s book it was always evident to me that these headliners played by a unique set of unwritten rules. Most honest Chicago cops, prosecutors and judges learned early on to put their blinders on or face getting framed, disgraced and fired if they interfered with any of the Windy City power.

I’m not sure what the film producer’s plans are but there is enough material available for a bunch of sequels creating a powerful film franchise.

It remains to be seen how a certain Chicago cop turned alderman with his fixer lawyer wife who is a sitting Illinois Supreme Court Judge escaped prosecution for the deeds alleged in Cooley’s book. It remains to be seen if their Teflon coating can protect them until the undertakers wheel them away.

My personal dilemma is figuring out whose unforgettable part I’m going want to play in this film.

The website for Cooley's book is here.

Another ABC News Story About Guns...

ABC News got it right again for a change...

Stanford University Home To Young Imposter

I find this story a sign of our times. We live in a land where we make laws to control illegal immigration and then don’t enforce them. There can be little respect for any of our laws under that pathetic example.

You don’t get educated at Stanford University for free and very few poor kids will ever see the inside of a world class place to prepare for a life of wealth and privilege a Stanford education will bring.

Then came the determined and clever 18 year-old lass by the name of Azia Kim who infiltrated the campus as a “student” for no less than eight months. She talked her way into the dorm and made herself at home. That is until her lack of a key required climbing through dorm windows understandably brought too many questions.

Stanford’s administration is now in a security panic as they find themselves embarrassed over the ruse. I can’t help but find Azia Kim to be a child in need who perhaps deserves a chance for real student enrolment. I also see a career ahead for this girl perhaps at our Central Intelligence Agency. That is if she’s not arrested and prosecuted for her eight-month adventure. I hope Stanford administrators will walk away from such retribution.

Azia Kim is a child of out time. There are so many people with money they will never be able to spend in their lifetimes who my get a their own personal reward by investigating Kim’s plight and help her realize the status of the trust fund babies at Stanford’s hollowed halls.

I think of all the Liberal rich ladies with big opinions and lots of cash that could step up to the plate and help like Barbra Streisand, Rosie O’Donnell and Hillary Clinton.

Dr. Henry Lee, “Least credible witness.”

Amazing words said on the record by Judge Larry Paul Fidler, during the Phil Spector murder trial. It was said out of the presence of the jury. Fidler further indicated that he will not instruct the jury about Dr. Lee’s credibility.

Fidler must be gunning for a mistrial because there is no way that statement and it’s prejudicial taint will be kept from this un-sequestered jury.

Fidler’s remarks came from a bizarre allegation made by former Spector lawyer, Robert Shapiro’s defense team members. The allegation is that Dr. Lee located and destroyed physical evidence at Phil Spectpr’s home. Shapiro was fired by Spector, and I can only conclude this effort to smear Dr. Lee is fallout from the Shapiro/Spector dispute. If that’s the case it’s an outrageous and unlawful act by Shapiro’s camp. Judge Fidler should have considered the vendetta and source of this garbage before he opened his big mouth.

The prosecution has zero evidence that would show Spector fired the gun inside Lana Clarkson’s mouth. Prosecutors have invented a non-existent piece of missing evidence and a wild theory that would suggest that the gunshot was not self-inflicted. The item in question is supposedly a fingernail and the suggestion it may be marked by bullet wipe if it even exists.

The goofiest part of this theory is that the cops and their CSI team somehow missed the item in question and Dr. Lee found it long after cops opened the death scene and returned control of it back to Phil Spector.

Prosecutors have stayed awake nights figuring ways to bring in anything and everything that can to make up for what they don’t have, evidence that Phil Spector killed Lana Clarkson.

Spector's Limo Driver's Story Folds...

Limo driver Adriano DeSouza described the Colt Cobra accurately. He said it was a black gun with brown grips. But it was not in Phil Spector’s hand in this exact pose DeSouza demonstrated in court as he’s claimed. If this Colt Cobra revolver was in Spector’s hand DeSouza would have never even seen the grips.


This startled limo driver simply assumed the gun was in Spector’s hand. If Adriano DeSouza really believes his own story we can only suspect in all the excitement his assumptions became his own reality.

When police found Clarkson and the gun this is what they saw. The brown grips are clearly visible on this gun at Clarkson’e feet. It’s uncontested that DeSouza saw Clarkson slumped in the chair as this photo reveals.

Star Prosecution Witness Limo Driver Lied In Spector Case

Limo driver Adriano Desouza is not so dumb. He’s an illegal alien that knew full well that if he was needed as a witness by the government that would buy him time and perhaps a Green Card. Giving the government what it wants has prevented Desouza’s deportation.

Adriano Desouza’s direct testimony reveals that he is also clairvoyant. Prosecutor Alan Jackson asked Desouza to describe the gun Spector was holding. “A black gun with brown grips”, he said. The problem is the grips on this little gun (old model, Colt Cobra, D frame revolver) can’t be seen when someone is holding the gun by the grip!

I hope Spector’s defense team noticed this obvious lie and feed the lie back to Adriano Desouza during Cross-examination.

Update: To clear up confusion the Limo driver said under direct trial testimony, and to police early on that he saw Spector holding the gun in the exact pose he demonstrated in court. I have recreated that pose in this picture. The gun (Colt Cobra) is very small and the person holding it is 5’5” tall and 150 lbs. He is only slightly larger than Spector.

The driver also said that Spector had blood on his right index finger and that would make sense if Spector picked up the bloody gun after the Clarkson fell. It would be a natural reaction to pick up a gun under those circumstances for safety reasons.

It Looks Like Plea Agreement Time For Howard Morgan

No, I still don’t know what sparked this wild mess. The news here for Howard Morgan is not good. A Chicago jury voted 11-1 for conviction on the most serious charges. Racially charged cases seem to end in acquittal if the cops were White and the defendant Black. Here the jury must have found compelling evidence that Morgan tried to unlawfully open fire on uniformed cops after a minor traffic violation.

Morgan can count on being retried and barring some new evidence for the defense it looks like a long prison sentence for Morgan is in the cards. Howard Morgan needs to fold his cards and get the best deal he can get. Whatever happens now won’t be pretty.

Emotions have run very high on this tale of extreme violence and accusations. For my merely asking questions about what happened on this blog I’ve received a few very offensive anonymous comments that had to be deleted because of the language alone. I hope they did not come from cops.

I never took sides on this story because I could never figure a motive for the total war that took place. On any given day this kind of traffic stop would have become a time for cops including Morgan to all give each other the secret FOP handshake and all continuing with a smile.

The Failure of Katie Couric As An Evening News Anchor

I may not be a fan of Ms. Couric but I will never characterize her as a failure. Her CBS venture is now in a distant third place. Couric has simply been miscast in her new role as a nightly news anchor. She does not fit into the evening news.

I’ve been no stranger to TV news rooms as I’m frequently called out to assist both networks and local affiliates on thousands of new stories over the years. I function as an investigative producer even though I did not choose that road in life. I was drafted into TV news some 19 years ago. I tell you this so you know where my opinion came from.

The Today Show became a entertainment product for mostly women and as a result was loaded with estrogen. The Today Show was and is filled with opinion both overt and covert with a Left Wing flavor. Katie was always seen gushing over the Clintons and politely interacting with Conservative politicians. Couric made no secret of her hatred for American gun rights while supporting many liberal causes. The morning, women’s venue typecast Couric forever.

Couric has an Oprah like influence over other women. This could be seen when Couric led the Pantyhose revolt that nearly put the entire women’s leg wear industry into bankruptcy. I know that all the women in the newsrooms I visited followed Couric by shedding their pantyhose in a monkey see, monkey do exercise. Katie had set the trend for TV newswomen everywhere.

Couric could rival Oprah anytime in day time talk show circles. Evening news is just not Katie’s showcase.