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`Die Hard' director sentenced to prison (4 mos., charged w/lying to FBI about knowing Pellicano)
AP on Yahoo ^ | 9/24/07 | Raquel Maria Dillon - ap

Posted on 09/24/2007 1:28:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

LOS ANGELES - A federal judge sentenced Hollywood director John McTiernan to four months in prison Monday after refusing to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea to charges of lying to the FBI about his association with disgraced private eye Anthony Pellicano.

Judge Dale S. Fischer gave the director of such films as "Die Hard" and "The Thomas Crown Affair" until Jan. 15 to turn himself in to authorities. McTiernan's attorney said he would appeal.

McTiernan was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.

When he entered his plea last year, McTiernan said he lied when he told an FBI agent the only time he used Pellicano's services was during his divorce. In actuality, he said, he hired Pellicano to wiretap Charles Roven, who had worked with him on the 2002 box-office flop "Rollerball."

Pellicano, who served 2 1/2 years in federal prison for possessing illegal weapons, has pleaded not guilty to charges in a 111-count indictment accusing him of bugging phones and bribing police to get information on celebrities and others.

McTiernan was originally scheduled to be sentenced two weeks ago but that hearing was delayed after his lawyer asked that he be allowed to withdraw the plea and fight the charge. Attorney Milton Grimes said at the time that McTiernan hadn't had adequate legal representation when he entered the plea.

On Monday, the defense argued that when McTiernan spoke to the FBI agent he was tired from having returned from a long trip to Asia, was taking antibiotics for a sinus infection and had gone off his anti-depression medication.

The judge was not persuaded.

"I find these arguments completely lacking in credibility," she said.

McTiernan, who appeared in court in brown cowboy boots, black jeans and a blue blazer, did not speak.

Grimes said outside court he was disappointed in Fischer's ruling and would appeal.

He disagreed with Fischer's observation that McTiernan "lived a privileged life and simply wants to continue that."

"He's probably one of the most down-to-earth people I've met in Hollywood in my 30 years working here," Grimes said of McTiernan.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: California
KEYWORDS: diehard; director; hollywood; mctiernan; pellicano; prison; sentenced

1 posted on 09/24/2007 1:28:18 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

It’s always the lie that gets you....


2 posted on 09/24/2007 1:30:06 PM PDT by highball ("I never should have switched from scotch to martinis." -- the last words of Humphrey Bogart)
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To: doug from upland

fyi


3 posted on 09/24/2007 1:30:29 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE’s toll-free tip hotline—1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge

Yippie-ki-yay, Motherf*****.

H


4 posted on 09/24/2007 1:31:27 PM PDT by SnakeDoctor (How 'Bout Them Cowboys!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge
He disagreed with Fischer's observation that McTiernan "lived a privileged life and simply wants to continue that."

"He's probably one of the most down-to-earth people I've met in Hollywood in my 30 years working here," Grimes said of McTiernan.

These two statements are not contradictory.

5 posted on 09/24/2007 1:31:36 PM PDT by Ingtar (The LDS problem that Romney is facing is not his religion, but his Lacking Decisive Stands.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Judge Dale S. Fischer was the fly in the ointment, monkey in the wrench, pain in the ass.


6 posted on 09/24/2007 1:31:38 PM PDT by AU72
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To: NormsRevenge

He got of easy. ‘Medicine Man’ alone was worth a measly four months in jail. That’s not even counting ‘Last Action Hero’, ‘Rollerball’ or his God awful first movie, ‘Nomads’.


7 posted on 09/24/2007 1:33:41 PM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm (John Cox 2008: Because Duncan Hunter just isn't obscure enough for me!)
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To: NormsRevenge

I PRAY they ask the CLINTONS if they ever hired PELLICANO!!! YIKES....I think he was their BEST Investigator....they have QUITE A FEW!


8 posted on 09/24/2007 1:33:58 PM PDT by Suzy Quzy (Hillary '08...Her PHONINESS is REAL!!!)
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To: AU72

By the time the trial’s over, that courthouse is gonna need a paint job and a sh*tload of screen doors...


9 posted on 09/24/2007 1:35:38 PM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm (John Cox 2008: Because Duncan Hunter just isn't obscure enough for me!)
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To: NormsRevenge

Boy - another jail term for lying to the FBI.

I’m opposed to lying on moral grounds but it seems a bit disengenuous that law enforcement is free to lie to you about any number of things yet you lie to them and it’s off to the pokey you go.


10 posted on 09/24/2007 1:36:39 PM PDT by The Lumster (USA - where the innocent have nothing to fear!)
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To: AU72

>> Judge Dale S. Fischer was the fly in the ointment, monkey in the wrench, pain in the ass.

If he’s dropped off of a building anytime soon, I think we’ll know where to look.

“Shoot the glass!!”

H


11 posted on 09/24/2007 1:37:22 PM PDT by SnakeDoctor (How 'Bout Them Cowboys!!!)
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To: The Lumster

law enforcement is free to lie to you about any number of things

I should have worked for the federal government. I could lie my asprin off, preach to everyone about global warming and while flying on private jets. Just a few of the wonderul perks that a lot of the fellas, including hillary partake in.


12 posted on 09/24/2007 1:50:01 PM PDT by rineaux (Just say NO to taglines)
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To: NormsRevenge

“Come to the coast, we’ll get together have a few laughs”.


13 posted on 09/24/2007 2:06:29 PM PDT by jbwbubba
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To: Suzy Quzy

Pelicano was at least one of the investigators who hounded former RTC investigator L. Jean Lewis. Illegally entering her apartment and stalking her regularly.


14 posted on 09/24/2007 2:13:58 PM PDT by zerosix (<Native Sunflower>)
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To: NormsRevenge

The Woman Who Shall Not Be Named remains unnamed.


15 posted on 09/24/2007 2:23:30 PM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: NormsRevenge

Could any time be added to his sentence for being the director of a bunch of lousy movies?


16 posted on 09/24/2007 2:40:54 PM PDT by Continental Soldier
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To: zerosix

Yes......wonder who PAID for THAT???? the CLINTONS!!


17 posted on 09/24/2007 2:44:47 PM PDT by Suzy Quzy (Hillary '08...Her PHONINESS is REAL!!!)
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To: rineaux

The police are lied to all the time, it’s only the famous who get prosecuted for it.


18 posted on 09/24/2007 3:09:11 PM PDT by stinkerpot65 (Global warming is a Marxist lie.)
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To: doug from upland

The Woman Who Shall Not Be Named remains unnamed.

She was sure all over the talkies Sunday morning..

I think she’s been cloned.. God help us, Al... uhh,,, All.

Run Al, Run. he’s on a crest of popularity, his topic is hot..


19 posted on 09/24/2007 5:54:33 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE’s toll-free tip hotline—1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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