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CNN Live Today

Celebrity Drama

Aired January 15, 2003 - 11:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Our celebrity news begins with actor and accused wife killer Robert Blake. A second defense lawyer now says he wants to quit for the same reason as the first. Blake wants to set up a television interview to explain himself rather than to keep quiet as his lawyers advise.
Harvey Levin of TV's "Celebrity Justice" brings us up to date on that and a lot more of Robert Blake.

Harvey, good morning.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PROD., "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hey, Daryn.

KAGAN: What is this, Robert Blake just cannot retain counsel, can he?

LEVIN: Well, Robert Blake can't keep his mouth closed apparently. He lost one lawyer earlier on, Harlan Braun, who quit because he wanted to do an interview with Diane Sawyer.

Now it appears that the second lawyer wants off the case. Jennifer Keller says that she just can't get him to follow orders. Apparently, he now wants to do an interview with Barbara Walters, and this is harikari for a defense lawyer to allow a client to do a primetime interview when he sits in jail awaiting murder charges. It's crazy, but Blake clearly has a mind of his own, and counsel is having trouble controlling him.

KAGAN: Our Charles Feldman reported that perhaps the next in line to represent Blake could be Gerry Spence, he of O.J. Simpson fame and the suede jacket.

LEVIN: Well, we know that last Friday, around 3:00, Gerry Spence showed up at the county jail and had at least a half-hour meeting with Robert Blake, and I talked to Spence yesterday, and he was very coy with me, wouldn't confirm or deny it, but I can tell you he's on a first name basis with Robert Blake, and I know that early on in the case when Harlan Braun had it, Spence expressed interest, so it wouldn't surprise me at all, and this would be a trial with more flare if Gerry Spence came on board.

KAGAN: More flare and more fringe.

LEVIN: Exactly.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, just so I can keep this straight, so Robert Blake can't stop talking, but he will not talk in this deposition in the civil lawsuit, which is completely separate from the criminal charges he faces in the murder of his wife.

LEVIN: It's really bizarre, because Robert Blake's the one that wanted the civil case to move forward, even though he probably would have a right to stop it if he wanted pending the criminal case. He wanted to go forward, but now that he is on the line, that he has to testify today, he's not going to do it. His lawyer will not let him speak to the lawyer Bonnie Lee Bakley's family, and it sounds like it's kind of sending a mixed message, because he wants to talk, but when it comes down to it to a lawyer, he might take the Fifth. So it's not good PR for Robert Blake, but boy, he'd better take the fifth. If he doesn't, I can't imagine what his team is going to do.

KAGAN: Gives you plenty to talk about, though, on "Celebrity Justice."

LEVIN: We absolutely will, you can bet on it, Daryn.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Harvey Levin. Harvey, thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 15, 2003 - 11:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Our celebrity news begins with actor and accused wife killer Robert Blake. A second defense lawyer now says he wants to quit for the same reason as the first. Blake wants to set up a television interview to explain himself rather than to keep quiet as his lawyers advise.
Harvey Levin of TV's "Celebrity Justice" brings us up to date on that and a lot more of Robert Blake.

Harvey, good morning.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PROD., "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hey, Daryn.

KAGAN: What is this, Robert Blake just cannot retain counsel, can he?

LEVIN: Well, Robert Blake can't keep his mouth closed apparently. He lost one lawyer earlier on, Harlan Braun, who quit because he wanted to do an interview with Diane Sawyer.

Now it appears that the second lawyer wants off the case. Jennifer Keller says that she just can't get him to follow orders. Apparently, he now wants to do an interview with Barbara Walters, and this is harikari for a defense lawyer to allow a client to do a primetime interview when he sits in jail awaiting murder charges. It's crazy, but Blake clearly has a mind of his own, and counsel is having trouble controlling him.

KAGAN: Our Charles Feldman reported that perhaps the next in line to represent Blake could be Gerry Spence, he of O.J. Simpson fame and the suede jacket.

LEVIN: Well, we know that last Friday, around 3:00, Gerry Spence showed up at the county jail and had at least a half-hour meeting with Robert Blake, and I talked to Spence yesterday, and he was very coy with me, wouldn't confirm or deny it, but I can tell you he's on a first name basis with Robert Blake, and I know that early on in the case when Harlan Braun had it, Spence expressed interest, so it wouldn't surprise me at all, and this would be a trial with more flare if Gerry Spence came on board.

KAGAN: More flare and more fringe.

LEVIN: Exactly.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, just so I can keep this straight, so Robert Blake can't stop talking, but he will not talk in this deposition in the civil lawsuit, which is completely separate from the criminal charges he faces in the murder of his wife.

LEVIN: It's really bizarre, because Robert Blake's the one that wanted the civil case to move forward, even though he probably would have a right to stop it if he wanted pending the criminal case. He wanted to go forward, but now that he is on the line, that he has to testify today, he's not going to do it. His lawyer will not let him speak to the lawyer Bonnie Lee Bakley's family, and it sounds like it's kind of sending a mixed message, because he wants to talk, but when it comes down to it to a lawyer, he might take the Fifth. So it's not good PR for Robert Blake, but boy, he'd better take the fifth. If he doesn't, I can't imagine what his team is going to do.

KAGAN: Gives you plenty to talk about, though, on "Celebrity Justice."

LEVIN: We absolutely will, you can bet on it, Daryn.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Harvey Levin. Harvey, thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com