Anthony Pellicano

Oh, the tear-stained witness stand. After a few days of dry testimony about telephone circuitry and software encryption, the tears flowed Friday in the federal wiretapping and racketeering trial of Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano and four co-defendants.

Editor's note: Rachel Abramowitz will be periodically checking in on the trial of Anthony Pellicano -- former private eye to the stars, who faces 110 counts of racketeering, wiretapping, conspiracy and other federal charges -- and writing about what the case means to Hollywood. -- Two allegedly crooked guys commiserate on the phone about the crookedness of the movie business. There's the graft. The hypocrisy. The dreadful bloviating.

Hedge fund manager Adam Sender was angry -- at the man with whom he had invested $1.1 million and at himself for believing it would lead to a successful film company and another venture. So after a year of searching in vain for Aaron Russo, Sender hired private detective Anthony Pellicano.

Looking like he was headed to the dentist's office for a root canal, Chris Rock walked into a packed L.A. courtroom Friday in a dark suit and blue shirt to testify about his dealings with private detective Anthony Pellicano. Uncharacteristically sober-faced and soft-spoken, one of the funniest men in Hollywood barely whispered his name into the microphone as he took the witness stand at the federal trial of Pellicano, who is charged with wiretapping and racketeering. "Mr. Rock?" U.S.

Editor's note: Rachel Abramowitz will be periodically checking in on the trial of Anthony Pellicano -- former private eye to the stars, who faces 110 counts of racketeering, wiretapping, conspiracy and other federal charges -- and writing about what the case means to Hollywood. -- For once, Chris Rock wasn't laughing. Dressed in a black suit, the comedian was subdued and spoke in such a hushed voice that the judge had to urge him to "project" during his brief 8 a.m.

People acquainted with private detective Anthony Pellicano who must make the unpleasant journey to the witness stand in the federal courtroom where he sits accused of wiretapping and racketeering fall mostly into two categories: those who profess they knew nothing and those who confess they knew something. Those with immunity against prosecution are dry-eyed and those with plea agreements but awaiting sentencing are the teariest.

No doubt seeking some privacy, action star Sylvester Stallone listed a home telephone number in the name of Johnny Friendly. It's ironic, then, that his nom de phone didn't keep him from a severe invasion of privacy, according to testimony Thursday in the criminal trial of private investigator Anthony Pellicano. The private eye allegedly wiretapped Stallone's line to monitor his phone conversations with one of his lawyers, according to evidence offered by assistant U.S.

Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano rested his case Friday in federal court after calling just a single witness to rebut charges that he conducted a years-long, illegal wiretapping and racketeering operation on behalf of his wealthy clients. Pellicano, who represented himself in court, made for an awkward defense attorney and repeatedly begged his only witness -- a subdued FBI computer forensic expert -- to speak up on the stand. The questioning lasted about an hour.

Editor's note: Rachel Abramowitz will be periodically checking in on the trial of Anthony Pellicano -- former private eye to the stars, who faces 79 counts of racketeering, wiretapping, conspiracy and other federal charges -- and writing about what the case means to Hollywood. -- Each day the trial goes on, it becomes clearer that Anthony Pellicano was Hollywood's favorite rage-aholic enabler. Got a grudge? Call Pellicano. Want to destroy a former wife? Call Pellicano. Feeling hostile?

The federal judge hearing the criminal case against Los Angeles private detective Anthony Pellicano denied a request Tuesday for a mistrial from one of his co-defendants, former Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Mark Arneson. But before she ruled, U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer stopped the trial for the day and sent the jury home so she could hold a hearing on Arneson's motion.