Fox has settled its long-running profits litigation over the crime show “Bones,” during which an arbitrator accused top Fox executives of lying on the witness stand.
The arbitrator, Peter Lichtman, issued a blistering ruling in February, in which he accused Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Peter Rice of engaging a “reprehensible” cover-up of Fox’s behavior.
The plaintiffs — actors David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel and producers Kathy Reichs and Barry Josephson — alleged that Fox had cheated them out of tens of millions of dollars in profit participations.
Lichtman awarded them $50 million in compensatory damages and another $128 million in punitive damages — one of the largest such judgments in Hollywood history. Fox’s attorneys, however, persuaded Judge Richard Rico that Lichtman had exceeded his authority, and Rico agreed in May to set aside the punitive damages award.
At the time, the plaintiffs’ attorneys vowed to appeal. Instead, they settled the dispute on undisclosed terms.
The arbitrator, Peter Lichtman, issued a blistering ruling in February, in which he accused Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Peter Rice of engaging a “reprehensible” cover-up of Fox’s behavior.
The plaintiffs — actors David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel and producers Kathy Reichs and Barry Josephson — alleged that Fox had cheated them out of tens of millions of dollars in profit participations.
Lichtman awarded them $50 million in compensatory damages and another $128 million in punitive damages — one of the largest such judgments in Hollywood history. Fox’s attorneys, however, persuaded Judge Richard Rico that Lichtman had exceeded his authority, and Rico agreed in May to set aside the punitive damages award.
At the time, the plaintiffs’ attorneys vowed to appeal. Instead, they settled the dispute on undisclosed terms.
- 9/11/2019
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Anthony Pellicano was a "well-paid thug" and ringmaster of a criminal enterprise who was hired to threaten, intimidate and harass foes of his clients, a federal prosecutor told jurors Tuesday in closing arguments in the Hollywood wiretapping trial.
Asst. U.S. Atty. Dan Saunders carefully laid out for jurors the evidence presented over the last eight weeks, connecting the dots on dates and times of illegal records searches and alleged harassment by the former Hollywood celebrity sleuth and his co-defendants.
Jurors were taken "inside a thoroughly corrupt criminal organization that disguised itself as a legitimate investigative agency." So well disguised, Saunders said, that Pellicano did work for law enforcement.
But the Pellicano Investigative Agency was in fact, "a criminal organization operated by a very well-connected and very well-paid thug," Saunders said.
Pellicano, who is representing himself, faces 77 charges of wiretapping and racketeering. Some of those charges were filed against co-defendant Mark Arneson, a retired Los Angeles Police sergeant, and retired phone company supervisor Ray Turner.
Asst. U.S. Atty. Dan Saunders carefully laid out for jurors the evidence presented over the last eight weeks, connecting the dots on dates and times of illegal records searches and alleged harassment by the former Hollywood celebrity sleuth and his co-defendants.
Jurors were taken "inside a thoroughly corrupt criminal organization that disguised itself as a legitimate investigative agency." So well disguised, Saunders said, that Pellicano did work for law enforcement.
But the Pellicano Investigative Agency was in fact, "a criminal organization operated by a very well-connected and very well-paid thug," Saunders said.
Pellicano, who is representing himself, faces 77 charges of wiretapping and racketeering. Some of those charges were filed against co-defendant Mark Arneson, a retired Los Angeles Police sergeant, and retired phone company supervisor Ray Turner.
- 4/29/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Obsession and deceit dominated testimony and audiotape played Tuesday in the trial of Anthony Pellicano and four others as prosecutors called up witnesses that included a well-known Hollywood producer and a former record executive.
Mosaic Media Group partner Chuck Roven was among the first witnesses of the day in the wiretapping and racketeering case, testifying about his "cordial" relationship with director John McTiernan and their collaboration on Rollerball.
The movie, released by MGM, was a boxoffice blunder. Made on a $70 million budget, it grossed $25 million worldwide. But all the while, it turns out, McTiernan was paying Pellicano to tap the producer's phone.
"I was one of the producers on it, and (McTiernan) had a tremendous amount of physical and creative control," Roven said. "And, as it sometimes happens, in our case, I had a different creative concept."
McTiernan, he added, didn't even have a good handle on how to execute his own creative concepts.
Prosecutor Dan Saunders then pulled up on the overhead projector a "report" compiled by Pellicano's investigative agency in summer 2000, when Rollerball was being filmed.
The first page consisted of several phone numbers related to Roven, including one number he said only two people had: Roven's wife and their nanny.
The report also outlined phone conversations Roven had with several associates, including Alex Gartner, who was then president of production at MGM and now is a producer for Mosaic; CAA agent Dan Aloni, who at the time was an agent at UTA; and Steve Papazian, president of physical production at Warner Bros., who talked with Roven about Scooby-Doo.
Saunders then played for the jury an audiotape of Pellicano and McTiernan discussing Roven and his phone calls. Roven, who was subdued during his testimony, leaned back in the witness chair as he listened to the recording and rested his face in his left hand. Sometimes, he would scan the courtroom, looking at the jury, who were closely following the transcript of the conversation.
On the tape, Pellicano joked that he was getting an education in the film industry and told McTiernan, "I don't like the way they talk about you."
Pellicano repeatedly complained about how boring some of Roven's calls were and that his services were going to get more expensive because of the volume of calls recorded.
"There's tons of stuff", Pellicano told McTiernan. "Let me say to you, there's nothing to concern yourself with."
"Basically, I'd like to know what he's saying to the studio," McTiernan responded.
McTiernan, who called Roven "a rich ne'er-do-well" and "rich fuck-up," told the private eye to end his surveillance. Pellicano cautioned McTiernan that taking "all this stuff down" and putting it back up costs money.
"I would do his house", Pellicano suggested. "He does all his work at home".
Throughout Roven's appearance on the stand, Pellicano -- who is representing himself during the trial -- was attentive, taking notes and occasionally looking at the producer, but he declined to cross-examine him.
Mosaic Media Group partner Chuck Roven was among the first witnesses of the day in the wiretapping and racketeering case, testifying about his "cordial" relationship with director John McTiernan and their collaboration on Rollerball.
The movie, released by MGM, was a boxoffice blunder. Made on a $70 million budget, it grossed $25 million worldwide. But all the while, it turns out, McTiernan was paying Pellicano to tap the producer's phone.
"I was one of the producers on it, and (McTiernan) had a tremendous amount of physical and creative control," Roven said. "And, as it sometimes happens, in our case, I had a different creative concept."
McTiernan, he added, didn't even have a good handle on how to execute his own creative concepts.
Prosecutor Dan Saunders then pulled up on the overhead projector a "report" compiled by Pellicano's investigative agency in summer 2000, when Rollerball was being filmed.
The first page consisted of several phone numbers related to Roven, including one number he said only two people had: Roven's wife and their nanny.
The report also outlined phone conversations Roven had with several associates, including Alex Gartner, who was then president of production at MGM and now is a producer for Mosaic; CAA agent Dan Aloni, who at the time was an agent at UTA; and Steve Papazian, president of physical production at Warner Bros., who talked with Roven about Scooby-Doo.
Saunders then played for the jury an audiotape of Pellicano and McTiernan discussing Roven and his phone calls. Roven, who was subdued during his testimony, leaned back in the witness chair as he listened to the recording and rested his face in his left hand. Sometimes, he would scan the courtroom, looking at the jury, who were closely following the transcript of the conversation.
On the tape, Pellicano joked that he was getting an education in the film industry and told McTiernan, "I don't like the way they talk about you."
Pellicano repeatedly complained about how boring some of Roven's calls were and that his services were going to get more expensive because of the volume of calls recorded.
"There's tons of stuff", Pellicano told McTiernan. "Let me say to you, there's nothing to concern yourself with."
"Basically, I'd like to know what he's saying to the studio," McTiernan responded.
McTiernan, who called Roven "a rich ne'er-do-well" and "rich fuck-up," told the private eye to end his surveillance. Pellicano cautioned McTiernan that taking "all this stuff down" and putting it back up costs money.
"I would do his house", Pellicano suggested. "He does all his work at home".
Throughout Roven's appearance on the stand, Pellicano -- who is representing himself during the trial -- was attentive, taking notes and occasionally looking at the producer, but he declined to cross-examine him.
- 3/25/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that they are preparing to charge more people in connection with the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping case, fueling suspicion that other high-profile attorneys will be linked to the alleged illegal spying. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Saunders made the remarks to U.S. District Court Judge Dale Fischer at a status conference in downtown Los Angeles, saying the new and more encompassing indictment was expected to be filed before April 18, the tentative trial date. No additional details were given, and Fischer said it was unlikely the trial would start on that date. The hearing was for Pellicano and the seven others charged with either abetting or benefiting from his alleged scheme to illegally tap phones and access the criminal records of his targets.
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