Carolyn Kellogg

After seven days of deliberation, word came from the Phil Spector jury today that they were deadlocked. But the judge isn't ready to let them go yet. Turns out the jury is hung 7 to 5. Either 5 people are saying that reasonable doubt exists that Spector didn't shoot Lana Clarkson, or 7 are. That's more doubt than many courtwatchers had expected. The judge asked the jurors if anything else might convince them to...

Jane Goodall - leading primatologist, National Geographic favorite, TED speaker -- is coming to LA. To Griffith Park. Wow, do we have monkeys? Where are the monkeys in Griffith Park? Damn. The only non-human primates in the park are at the LA Zoo. Goodall is coming not for science, but for peace. Part of Goodall's nonprofit is called Roots and Shoots, aimed at getting kids involved in positive change for the environment, animals, yadda...

In her closing arguments, defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden showed a video montage of witnesses who said they couldn't put the gun in Phil Spector's hand. The defense is trying to convince the jury that Lana Clarkson, a marginally talented, fairly beautiful actress/model whose career was on the wane, left her crappy job at the House of Blues with the wealthy record producer late one night, got to his house, found a handgun and...

By the time I got to Gorky's Russian Cafe, its communist-leaning founder had sold out to a south bay capitalist named Fred. He hired me as a server, promoted me to cashier, then made me manager -- of the 1am-9am shift. From 2-6, I was the only staffer there at the corner of 8th and San Julian downtown. People would come in after Jac Zinder's dance club, or a show at LACE, arty people...

Hilly Kristal, the founder of legendary New York punk rock club CBGBs, died yesterday of lung cancer. He was 75. Kristal had the good sense to put Blondie, Television, the Ramones and the Talking Heads on stage. He also had the good sense to keep his New York thing in New York, so Gothamist's remembrance seems appropriate. But we couldn't let this hallmark of punk pass without our own wave farewell. Despite the fact that...

The jury in the Phil Spector trial took a field trip to his home in Alhambra today. Only one member of the media -- Linda Deutsch of the AP -- was allowed in. Everyone else set up camp down the street and waited until she came out with her report. Meet Lily the great dane, who on all fours is almost taller than Phil Spector. More behind-the-scenes photos after the jump....

Michael Bay, the #11 box-office earning film director, testified for the prosecution in the Phil Spector trial Monday. His appearance sent a shock of excitement through the ice-cold courtroom; I swear even Dominick Dunne perked up. Michael Bay said he remembers Lana Clarkson. He knew her from his days directing videos and commercials for Propaganda, back when he was the kind of guy who had to direct TV ads instead of blowing shit up,...

Yesterday the defense team called Nicole Spector, Phil Spector's daughter, to the stand. Her testimony (all 2 minutes of it) was designed to show that the music producer is right-handed, which would seem to counter some of the prosecution's forensic evidence. Nicole was composed and smiled warmly at the jury. But... 1. In recounting Phil Spector's dad-ishness -- he'd pick her up from high school, join her at her mom's house for dinner, then watch...

Looks like a visit to the Pyrenees may be ahead for the jurors in the Spector trial -- Phil Spector's Pyrenees Castle, that is. The defense wants all 12 jurors (and 6 alternates) to come and see the room where Lana Clarkson died. But getting them there is complicated -- the judge will also come along, and the court reporter, and sheriffs deputies, not to mention the lawyers for both sides. If all the...

As I'm really just a longterm visitor to this, your fair city, it gave me some real reassurance to know that I received the same hysterical email about the mountain lion in Silverlake as did Franklin Avenue (which has it in full) and Blogging.la (where Will, who once worked at the zoo, parses the mountain lion/cougar/bobcat thing). So the streets of Silverlake, post-Griffith Park fire, are filling with wildlife. I understand the worry about skunks,...