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CNN Live Today

Interview With Harvey Levin

Aired February 26, 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: Actor Robert Blake's real life murder drama returns to the courtroom today. Prosecutors say they're going use today's preliminary hearing to present evidence that Blake shot and killed his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside the California restaurant where they had just eaten dinner.
Joining us to discuss the case, Harvey Levin, executive producer for "Celebrity Justice," and himself an attorney. We forget to mention that from time to time, Harvey, but it is good to point out. Good morning.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: What's going to happen in this preliminary hearing?

LEVIN: I think it's going to be really interesting. There are two witnesses in particular who say that Robert Blake solicited them to murder Bonny Lee Bakley. One is named Ronald Hambleton, another Gary McLarty. Both of these gentlemen are ill. Ron Hambleton has a kidney problem. Gary McLarty has had problems with his heart. Now, the D.A. is concerned that they might not be available to testify at the real trial, so they're going to videotape their testimony here because if they're unavailable, they can play the videotape. And what it does is it boxes Blake in. Blake may have to really grill these guys because it may be the only opportunity to discredit them because this tape could end up before the jury, whether Blake cross examines or not. So this really could be high drama.

KAGAN: Well, and going into this, how do we know, how good of witnesses do they appear to be?

LEVIN: Well, I'll tell you -- they provide some detail. Hambleton says Blake was very specific and said that he asked him to murder Bonny Lee Bakley outside of the Vitello's restaurant. So that's pretty damaging. On the other hand, we know that Hambleton right now is being tried in Victorville, which is a nearby city around L.A. for assaulting -- allegedly assaulting a police officer, so he has problems of his own.

As for the other witness -- you'll like this, Daryn. His name, Gary McLarty, again -- do you remember the "Twilight Zone" case?

KAGAN: Oh, yes, but for our viewers who do not, remind us.

LEVIN: Do you remember the case with Vic Morrow and the two child actors who were killed? KAGAN: And the helicopter.

LEVIN: When the helicopter went down during the filming of the "Twilight Zone" movie, and John Landis was tried for manslaughter? In that case, Gary McLarty, this same guy, was a prosecution key witness who was really ripped apart by none other than Harland Braun, the defense lawyer, who was also Blake's first defense lawyer. So he did not stand up very well in that trial.

And ironically, he was a witness there, now he says he's a witness in this case. So you got two guys both with some problems, but both who are very specific about what they say Blake told them.

KAGAN: Gosh, what are the chances of ending up in two high profile Hollywood trials like that? Interesting.

LEVIN: It is like (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KAGAN: Yes. Also, tonight I believe, Barbara Walters' interview with Robert Blake airs. Not an ideal situation for a defense attorney.

LEVIN: It's just -- again, beyond stunning to me. I hear that he doesn't say anything that really damages his case, that he stayed away from getting into the nitty gritty of what allegedly happened. Nonetheless, people can still judge his demeanor, judge him, and it's just a crazy thing to do. He did it, and his lawyer is simply going to have to live with it.

Let me mention one other thing. There is a third witness, and this guy is really interesting. His name is William Welch (ph). This guy is a very credible retired LAPD lieutenant, and he says that Blake talked to him about forcing Bonny Lee Bakley either to have an abortion or they talked about, as he put it, "whacking her." So this guy could end up being much more damaging to the defense than the other two. He is a credible, retired LAPD lieutenant.

KAGAN: Just real quickly here, just a legal question. The basic purpose of the preliminary hearing, to see if a judge decides if there's enough evidence to move to trial. In California, that bar is not very high, is it?

LEVIN: Daryn, I lost you -- I lost audio, but I think I know what you said.

KAGAN: OK.

LEVIN: What the basic purpose is -- the basic purpose is to see if there is enough evidence to justify putting this man on trial. It's a relatively low level of proof. Almost always, D.A.s get this -- get a case like this to trial. The real difference here is that the defense may have to play its hand a lot more than it would in an ordinary preliminary hearing.

KAGAN: Got it. Harvey Levin with "Celebrity Justice" can answer the questions even when he doesn't completely hear him -- hear us. LEVIN: I heard that.

KAGAN: Thank you so much.

LEVIN: Sure.

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 February 26, 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: Actor Robert Blake's real life murder drama returns to the courtroom today. Prosecutors say they're going use today's preliminary hearing to present evidence that Blake shot and killed his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside the California restaurant where they had just eaten dinner.
Joining us to discuss the case, Harvey Levin, executive producer for "Celebrity Justice," and himself an attorney. We forget to mention that from time to time, Harvey, but it is good to point out. Good morning.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: What's going to happen in this preliminary hearing?

LEVIN: I think it's going to be really interesting. There are two witnesses in particular who say that Robert Blake solicited them to murder Bonny Lee Bakley. One is named Ronald Hambleton, another Gary McLarty. Both of these gentlemen are ill. Ron Hambleton has a kidney problem. Gary McLarty has had problems with his heart. Now, the D.A. is concerned that they might not be available to testify at the real trial, so they're going to videotape their testimony here because if they're unavailable, they can play the videotape. And what it does is it boxes Blake in. Blake may have to really grill these guys because it may be the only opportunity to discredit them because this tape could end up before the jury, whether Blake cross examines or not. So this really could be high drama.

KAGAN: Well, and going into this, how do we know, how good of witnesses do they appear to be?

LEVIN: Well, I'll tell you -- they provide some detail. Hambleton says Blake was very specific and said that he asked him to murder Bonny Lee Bakley outside of the Vitello's restaurant. So that's pretty damaging. On the other hand, we know that Hambleton right now is being tried in Victorville, which is a nearby city around L.A. for assaulting -- allegedly assaulting a police officer, so he has problems of his own.

As for the other witness -- you'll like this, Daryn. His name, Gary McLarty, again -- do you remember the "Twilight Zone" case?

KAGAN: Oh, yes, but for our viewers who do not, remind us.

LEVIN: Do you remember the case with Vic Morrow and the two child actors who were killed? KAGAN: And the helicopter.

LEVIN: When the helicopter went down during the filming of the "Twilight Zone" movie, and John Landis was tried for manslaughter? In that case, Gary McLarty, this same guy, was a prosecution key witness who was really ripped apart by none other than Harland Braun, the defense lawyer, who was also Blake's first defense lawyer. So he did not stand up very well in that trial.

And ironically, he was a witness there, now he says he's a witness in this case. So you got two guys both with some problems, but both who are very specific about what they say Blake told them.

KAGAN: Gosh, what are the chances of ending up in two high profile Hollywood trials like that? Interesting.

LEVIN: It is like (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KAGAN: Yes. Also, tonight I believe, Barbara Walters' interview with Robert Blake airs. Not an ideal situation for a defense attorney.

LEVIN: It's just -- again, beyond stunning to me. I hear that he doesn't say anything that really damages his case, that he stayed away from getting into the nitty gritty of what allegedly happened. Nonetheless, people can still judge his demeanor, judge him, and it's just a crazy thing to do. He did it, and his lawyer is simply going to have to live with it.

Let me mention one other thing. There is a third witness, and this guy is really interesting. His name is William Welch (ph). This guy is a very credible retired LAPD lieutenant, and he says that Blake talked to him about forcing Bonny Lee Bakley either to have an abortion or they talked about, as he put it, "whacking her." So this guy could end up being much more damaging to the defense than the other two. He is a credible, retired LAPD lieutenant.

KAGAN: Just real quickly here, just a legal question. The basic purpose of the preliminary hearing, to see if a judge decides if there's enough evidence to move to trial. In California, that bar is not very high, is it?

LEVIN: Daryn, I lost you -- I lost audio, but I think I know what you said.

KAGAN: OK.

LEVIN: What the basic purpose is -- the basic purpose is to see if there is enough evidence to justify putting this man on trial. It's a relatively low level of proof. Almost always, D.A.s get this -- get a case like this to trial. The real difference here is that the defense may have to play its hand a lot more than it would in an ordinary preliminary hearing.

KAGAN: Got it. Harvey Levin with "Celebrity Justice" can answer the questions even when he doesn't completely hear him -- hear us. LEVIN: I heard that.

KAGAN: Thank you so much.

LEVIN: Sure.

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