Calling their client a victim of Los Angeles politics, Robert Blake's defense team on Thursday claimed that the district attorney is trying to deny the actor a fair trial by jailing him "without a single scrap of evidence" and by interfering with his employment of an investigator, reports the Associated Press. In response, Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for District Attorney Steve Cooley, said, "These outrageous allegations are patently preposterous." Blake's attorney, Harland Braun, also suggested that the arrest of the former "Baretta" star on April 18 was motivated by now-retired Police Chief Bernard Parks's desire for a "last moment of glory" before leaving his job. Blake, 68, stands accused of murdering his wife Bonny Lee Bakley, 44, on May 4, 2001, soliciting her murder, conspiracy and the special circumstance of lying in wait. He has pleaded innocent, but remains in jail without bail. Braun's motion, with its renewed plea for his client's release, is expected to be filed in court Friday and follows a request by prosecutors that the judge prohibit Braun from hiring private investigator William C. Jordan, who prosecutors are scheduling to testify against the actor. A hearing is scheduled for Monday.
For more on Robert Blake, read PEOPLE's recent cover story, "Cast as a Killer."
Your Reaction
