Pellicano Trial: Now That's Humilitainment!

The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Lally, asked Shandling if he knew Pellicano was onboard and working against him. The comedian said yes — and claimed that five years earlier Grey had told him, “With Bert Fields, you get Anthony Pellicano.” Shandling went on to explain that his friend, security expert Gavin de Becker, immediately recommended they do a “bug sweep” of Shandling’s phones “because of Bert Fields’ reputation.”

Shandling said he used to take walks and talk about the case with his confidante, former Saturday Night Live comic Kevin Nealon, another Brad Grey client.

At this point, Lally brought out Exhibit 300. Shandling put on his reading glasses to look over several sheets of 1999 government law-enforcement-database printouts on individuals connected to Shandling. The name of LAPD Sergeant Mark Arneson, one of Pellicano’s co-defendants in the trial, was all over the pages. “This bothers me as much as the first time this was shown to me,” Shandling told the courtroom. Among the names on the printouts were his assistant Marianna Grant, his accountant, Warren Grant (no relation), his former fiancée, Linda Doucett, and Kevin Nealon and his then-wife Linda.

Pellicano, who has been defending himself, then cross-examined Shandling. The former P.I. mumbled, “Good morning,” but Shandling didn’t return the greeting. Pellicano scored at least one important point: When asked if de Becker found any taps or bugs when the phones were swept, Shandling said no.

During his own testimony a few days later, Grey denied preventing the comedian from seeing his contracts. The Paramount boss also denied knowledge of any wiretapping, background checks done using law-enforcement databases, or other illegalities in connection with his defense in two lawsuits.

Doucett, who has told the press she was victimized by Pellicano, also briefly took the witness stand. The former actress, who played Hank Kingsley’s secretary Darlene on The Larry Sanders Show, said she received a threat within weeks of her first meeting in November 2003 with FBI agent Stan Ornellas about Pellicano. Her voice cracked as she testified that an anonymous caller telephoned her at her home and asked if she was Linda Doucett, then said that if she talked to her “friend Stan” she wouldn’t be seeing her son anymore. Doucett then phoned an ex-boyfriend, former HBO chairman Michael Fuchs, who urged her to tell the FBI.

Pellicano asked Doucett how the threatening phone call could be linked to him.

“You’re the only bad guy I know,” she replied. Later, one of the co-defendant’s lawyers got Doucett to admit there might be other bad guys in her life.

All I can say is that the Pellicano trial should come with its own theme song, courtesy of Bob Marley: Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?