SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A judge said he would consider whether a prosecutor persuaded a possible witness not to talk to a lawyer defending ex-fugitive Jesse James Hollywood against charges of murdering a 15-year-old boy.
Defense attorney James Blatt has tried to prevent the district attorney's office from pressing its case against Hollywood, saying lead prosecutor Ronald Zonen cooperated with a producer on an upcoming film on the case.
The movie "Alpha Dog," starring Bruce Willis and Justin Timberlake, is based on the August 2000 slaying, though the names and the setting have been changed.
On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Brian Hill set a hearing on whether Zonen might have encouraged associate producer Michael Mehas not to talk to Blatt about Zonen's involvement in the film. The hearing was scheduled Nov. 22.
"It seems to me ... there's a need to hear from Mr. Mehas about what transpired between he and Mr. Zonen that has caused him not to cooperate with the defense," Hill said. "I'm not suggesting anything sinister. An evidentiary hearing with Mr. Mehas (is) relevant to the question (of whether there was) some improper coercion, which in turn could reflect a bias that would be legally significant."
Hollywood, 25, was captured in Brazil in March and brought to Santa Barbara, where he has pleaded not guilty to orchestrating the August 2000 kidnapping and killing of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz of Los Angeles' West Hills section.
Prosecutors say the death resulted from an escalating feud between Hollywood and the teenager's older half brother over a $1,200 drug debt.
