March 02, 2000 07:49pm
Jury Picked in Trial of Alleged Calif. Madam
Source: Reuters
(VAN NUYS, CA) -- A jury was selected on Thursday for the trial of alleged madam Jody ``Babydol'' Gibson, who is charged with running a Hollywood call-girl ring catering to the rich and famous.
Gibson, arrested in June last year after a 10-month sting operation by Los Angeles police, denies 12 counts of pimping and pandering. Her lawyers will argue that there is no proof she profited from prostitution.
Gibson, an aspiring pop singer who police say is 41 but who insists she is in her early 30s, is said to be an associate of convicted former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. Her arrest in 1995 sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry because so many actors and businessmen were said to have been listed in her black book.
Fleiss was released from jail in September after serving a two year sentence and has since declared bankruptcy.
Prosecutors say Gibson ran an international call girl ring, with its own Web site, whose clients included Hollywood actors and producers, company CEOs and at least one professional athlete. The list has not been released.
Gibson could face about 20 years in jail if convicted on all the charges. Her trial is expected to start on March 7.
|
