October 27, 2008 23:44

Phil Spector murder retrial set to begin in LA

Six alternate jurors are sworn in

A date for the opening statements in the murder retrial of famed music producer Phil Spector has been set.

The new trial is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles on Wednesday (October 29), now that a panel of six alternate jurors has been selected.

The final alternate sworn in today (October 27) was a woman who said her brother's suicide years ago wouldn't affect her decision-making in Spector's case, reports the Associated Press.

The six alternate jurors join a panel of 12 regular jurors, who were selected last week, as previously reported.

Spector -- the pioneer behind the 1960s Wall Of Sound technique -- is accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson at his Los Angeles mansion on February 3, 2003.

After five months of heated testimony last year, the jury reached a 10-2 deadlock in favour of convicting Spector, which resulted in the judge declaring a mistrial.

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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