Prosecutors and top rated defense attorneys faced off in court today over the allegations of sex, lies and screenplays in the David Letterman extortion case. Extortion is a serious crime. A person convicted of this offense will most likely be sent to state prison for many many years. Extortion is defined as the use of either threat of violence or some other criminal means to cause any harm, including financial, to another person or their reputation, to obtain property from someone else with their consent.
In this case, Halderman is accused of threatening to divulge personal information about Letterman that could cause harm to the entertainer’s reputation.
The case revolves around Halderman, a well known TV producer,whose wife had a long running affair with Mr. Letterman. Halderman is the accused extortionist who wrote a screenplay about Letterman’s sex life with female staffers. The case stems from Halderman, who was angry over his wife’s affair could not find any way to make his wife stop the relationship with the late night comic. Records indicate that he continually confronted his wife about ceasing the affair. She apparently apologized and committed to her relationship with Halderman. Things seemed to be mending between the couple until he found that she had not stopped the affair.
Halderman decided to take his revenge out on the keyboard. Penning a script about Letterman’s hostile work environment. Then on September 9, 2009, Halderman delivered a portion of the script, which contained changed names, to Letterman’s driver, with documents which corroborated Halderman’s facts in the script. He then gave Letterman an opportunity to buy the script rather then see it made into a movie. Halderman met two times with Letterman’s lawyers and in taped conversations in which he was recorded demanding money. Afterward, a check for $2 million was given to Halderman.
Halderman’s criminal defense attorney indicated that their client was merely selling a screenplay and by filing the charges, the prosecutors were infringing on his First Amendment right of free speech.
If you have been charged or investigated with committing a Los Angeles White Collar fraud or grand theft in Southern California, please contact Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut for 24/7 assistance by phone at (323) 464-6453 or toll free at (888) 334-6344 or online.