March 01, 2000 09:00am
Hollywood Madam: D.A.'s Pals Are My Clients
Source: APB News
by: Christian Boone
(LOS ANGELES, CA) -- The attorney for alleged Hollywood madam Jody "Babydol" Gibson has claimed that three men listed in Gibson's "little black book" are major contributors to Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti's political war chest.
The assertion is the first in a series of bombshells expected in Gibson's upcoming trial.
Gerald Scotti filed a motion in Superior Court on Tuesday to have the District Attorney's office disqualified from trying the case, arguing that the new evidence would make it difficult for Gibson to receive a fair trial. Judge Lloyd M. Nash refused the request, and Scotti says he now will call the three men to testify.
With his strategy focused on obtaining a plea bargain for Gibson -- an adult-film producer facing 11 counts of pimping and pandering -- Scotti is turning up the heat on the District Attorney's office after learning that prosecutors are seeking the maximum 20-year prison sentence for his client.
Accusations come during an election
The timing is problematic for Garcetti, who faces a primary challenge March 7 in his bid for re-election to the office he has held for two terms.
"Clearly, Mr. Garcetti would be open to criticism by his opponents in next week's election that he was showing favoritism if his office offered [the] defendant a favorable plea agreement," Scotti said in court papers.
"Conversely, it is apparent that [the] defendant has been denied a 'fair' proceeding ... where the district attorney's office has charged only offenses that require mandatory prison, has granted immunity to witnesses only if they cooperate against [the] defendant, has intentionally not pursued any males involved in the alleged charges, including major contributors to Mr. Garcetti, and has stated its intention to demand a mandatory prison term of more than three years in the event [the] defendant is convicted of the charged offenses."
Scotti isn't hiding his strategy to play politics with politics, saying Gibson potentially could become an issue in the district attorney's election, which could lead to "extreme prejudice" against his client.
Meanwhile, Garcetti faces the embarrassing prospect of having some of his major supporters -- one of whom Scotti said has contributed $100,000 to the district attorney's campaign -- being called to testify for the defense.
Scotti said the men, two of whom are associated with a "major clothing corporation," likely would be called "to confirm they did pay associates of Gibson for sex, and that they were not solicited by [the] defendant regarding acts of prostitution."
Gibson's trial is to begin Thursday in Van Nuys.
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