The Pellicano Trial: Things Looking Better For Terry Christensen

Posted by Eriq Gardner

Embattled lawyer Terry Christensen scored two huge victories in court yesterday as he defends his role in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping case that has riveted the entertainment community.

First, U.S. District Court Judge Dale Fischer ruled that Christensen would be tried separately for his alleged payment to Pellicano of $100,000 to tap the phone of the former wife of Christensen's longtime client, Kirk Kerkorian. In the judge's order, the court ruled that the amount of evidence presented against Pellicano and others was "likely to exceed the relevant" evidence against Christensen. Legal experts count this as an enormous win for Christensen, who can now be tried outside the celebrity circus that will surely follow the main Pellicano show.

If that wasn't enough, the judge separately denied the government's request to use Christensen's partner  Patty Glaser as a witness against Christensen. Glaser was recently added to Christensen's defense team; now she'll now get a pass from testifying against her client.