Transcript for Prosecutors in Robert Blake criminal case present murder-for-hire theory: Part 7
Now, here’s your host, Eric Dubin. What is happening southern California? Good morning. Eric Dubin used to do a radio show out of Orange county. I was listening to the show. Welcome to “Legally speaking,” your chance to ask questions of a high powered trial attorney. That’s how Marjorie Bakley found me, she liked my aggressiveness, my tone, the fact that I was fearless. So Eric Dubin becomes the lawyer for the Bakley family. He files a wrongful death suit. Typically in a criminal case, a defendant is simply trying to get a not guilty verdict. But in this case, Robert Blake was also facing a civil case it puts him in a really tricky spot. In a civil Tria you could be deposed. You could be called as a witness. The problem is that prosecutors or other lawyers can twist what you say. This was a disaster. Eric Dubin showed up for the deposition. There’s nothing stopping Mr. Blake from telling the truth today. They bring this man behind the plexiglas, and it was Robert Blake. I think my first thought was, “Oh, my god. It’s baretta.” As any good attorney would do, Tom mesereau was insisting that Blake not say a word. I have previously announced in open court in this proceeding that I’m not going to permit Mr. Blake to respond to any questions. I am going to on behalf of Mr. Blake, assert all of Mr. Blake’s constitutional rights and privileges under the United States constitution and — Wait a minute. And the California constitution. Wait a minute. Blake wanted to testify, because he felt he had nothing to hide. It’s my general understanding that I was going to talk, and when there was a question that you didn’t like, you were going to object to it. No, Mr. Blake. I am not going to permit you to respond to any questions in this deposition. You have Blake sort of fighting with his own lawyer, which is just legal bizarro world. Mr. Mesereau, can we just start with the depo before you make your record. Mr. Blake, I’m not going to allow you to respond to any questions in this deposition, and if plaintiff’s council keeps interrupting me I’m going to terminate the deposition. We haven’t even started the deposition yet. I got rather abusive with Mr. Dubin, to put it mildly, and uh, I wouldn’t let him speak. Tom mesereau and I got into a huge fight. Mr. Dubin, I’m not — Mr. Dubin, don’t touch me, I’m not gonna be lectured by you on the law. At one point, so many people are talking over each other that the court reporter can’t keep up. I’m sorry I cannot take both of you, you are both speaking at the same time. I’m sorry. Mr. Mesereau, you can’t keep cutting me off. Mr. Dubin, you’re not going to lecture me on the law. I can’t, I can’t I’m sorry. I just I can’t get both of you. I can’t get what you’re saying, sir. What are you so afraid of, Tom? I’m not afraid of anything. This is a circus and a clown show that you’ve put on to get publicity. Mr. Blake’s lawyers terminated the deposition. Mr. Mesereau would not let him say anything. In the end, the civil case is delayed, and now Robert Blake can focus exclusively on the criminal case. Today is the first day the American public gets to hear about the case in a court of law. The preliminary hearing is the prosecution’s effort to demonstrate they have enough evidence to take the case to trial. Part of the prosecution’s evidence will be a tape-recorded phone conversation between Robert Blake and Bonnie Lee Bakley. I know who you are and I know what you are. But you’re wrong. Yeah, I’m wrong. You didn’t get deliberately pregnant, you didn’t get lie to me, you didn’t double cross me. That was all. I’m supposed to forget about that? I didn’t think they incriminated Mr. Blake at all. I mean, she became pregnant. She was two timing him with Christian brando. It was not evidence that somebody was a murderer or had a motive to kill. It was ridiculous. The prosecutors have two stuntmen. And he wanted them to say he hired them. Gary Mclarty was a very respected, successful stunt man in Hollywood. Gary Mclarty did the stunt of riding up the stairs in “Animal house.” What did he say to you? That somebody at night could come in while she was, and somebody could go in there and dispose of her. He said he wanted to pay $10,000. The other stunt man is Ronald “Duffy” Hambleton, whose most famous stunt was in a George Lucas movie called “Thx 1138. We wanted to know basically what it would cost for my services. Obviously I had no intention of giving him a figure. Today, Blake’s attorney, Thomas mesereau continued to try to break the credibility of the witnesses. My strategy was to thoroughly eviscerate them on videotape. We discovered that there was a history of drug abuse with the two stuntmen. You’ve used cocaine for years, true? Not years, I have used it. When did you last use it? A few months. Didn’t you say this morning you never did any drugs? I’ve experimented with drugs, and I’ve used regular store bought drugs, those prescribed. Is methodrine a prescription drug? It possibly could be. I don’t know. Did you get it with a prescription? No I didn’t. In these situations, typically, far more likely than not, that it goes to trial. Your motion to dismiss is denied. Not surprisingly, the judge decides that the case is gonna go to trial. The standard is relatively low. But what is surprising is what happens with bail. In a murder case you don’t typically get bail. I am going to set bail at and million and a half dollars. All you have to do is look at his facial expression when he’s given bail to know how miraculous that this was for him. With those words Robert Blake looks stunned it took a few seconds to take in and then his eyes filled with tears after almost a year in jail it appears he will be out on bail. Tom mesereau managed something that was somewhat of a miracle which was getting him out of jail on a murder charge on bail. I’m okay. I’m going to go sleep for three or four days. I never thought I’d make 11 months in a cement box, but I’m here. So this preliminary hearing is televised. It made Tom mesereau into a star. Tom mesereau quits and ends up representing Michael Jackson. Mr. Blake and I had a falling out. He’s a few months away from a trial, his lawyers just quit. A lot of the public thinks he did it. This is not where Robert Blake wants to be right now.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
