Robert Joel Halderman was simply trying to sell a story, not extort money, when he delivered a one-page screenplay proposal and other evidence to David Letterman in September about Mr. Letterman’s affairs with women who worked for him, according to Gerald L. Shargel, Mr. Halderman’s lawyer.
Mr. Shargel began telling Mr. Halderman’s side of the story in earnest Tuesday as he filed motions in State Supreme Court in Manhattan to have the attempted grand larceny charge against his client dismissed.
“This was a commercial transaction,” Mr. Shargel said outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse surrounded by a horde of cameras and reporters. “It was nothing more.”
But at the same time, according to the motion, Mr. Shargel appears to be trying to make Mr. Letterman a focus of the proceedings, suggesting that his office was rife with sexual misconduct — a claim heatedly denied by Mr. Letterman’s lawyer.
At the heart of the defense argument is that Mr. Halderman’s only intention was to write a book or a screenplay about Mr. Letterman’s affairs. But before going forward with the project, Mr. Halderman offered to sell Mr. Letterman the rights to the story for $2 million, according to the motion. Purchasing it would have allowed Mr. Letterman to keep the story quiet.
What Mr. Halderman did was legal because the information he possessed had its own independent value – meaning that, even without going to Mr. Letterman first, a third party, such as a book publisher or movie producer, would have paid for it, according to the motion.
Mr. Halderman, 52, was arrested Oct. 1 after receiving a fake $2 million check from a lawyer for Mr. Letterman in a sting operation set up by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
According to prosecutors, early on Sept. 9, Mr. Halderman delivered to Mr. Letterman, through Mr. Letterman’s limousine driver, a one-page screenplay treatment depicting the talk show host as a great success whose ”world is about to collapse around him” with revelations of his trysts.
One of the women Mr. Letterman had been involved with was Stephanie Birkitt, whom Mr. Halderman had been dating and living with, according to Mr. Shargel’s court filing.
After an initial meeting with Mr. Halderman, Mr. Letterman’s personal lawyer, Jim Jackoway, contacted the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Prosecutors then arranged for Mr. Jackoway to meet with Mr. Halderman two more times and tapped both conversations. At the final meeting, prosecutors said, Mr. Jackoway handed over the spurious $2 million check.
It was in late 2008 that Mr. Halderman discovered that his girlfriend, Ms. Birkitt, “had been unfaithful and was carrying on a sexual relationship with Mr. Letterman,” Mr. Shargel’s motion to dismiss said.
Mr. Halderman “also discovered evidence that Letterman had created and fostered an environment of workplace sexual misconduct that, under any definition, amounted to actionable sexual harassment,” according to the motion.
Shortly after Mr. Shargel spoke with reporters outside the courthouse, one of Mr. Letterman’s lawyers, Daniel J. Horwitz, started a defense of his client. In 29 years in the entertainment industry, Mr. Horwitz said, Mr. Letterman had never been accused of sexual harassment.
“Mr. Letterman is not on trial,” Mr. Horwitz said. “Any attempt to focus attention on Mr. Letterman, who’s the victim in this case, is an attempt to divert attention away from Mr. Halderman.”
Mr. Letterman was prepared to testify if the case goes to trial, Mr. Horwitz said.
“Mr. Letterman is fully prepared to see this case through to the end,” he said.
Last month I was MC presenter at “Successful Selling”. Here's a review about the event:
On 6 October 2009, ISMM members and guests gathered in Birmingham for Successful Selling 2009. A packed house and inspiring speakers made for an uplifting event
The ISMM's Successful Selling conference took place this year at Birmingham's National Motorcycle Museum. The showpiece venue set the tone for an enthralling day that provided something for everyone - inspiration, advice, entertainment and great networking opportunities.
The event featured a fantastic line-up of speakers that had been carefully selected to ensure delegates were motivated by new ideas and strategies to help them improve their performance and reach their goals in today's tough selling environment.
The conference was given a rousing start by the ISMM's chairman, Sheila Watson-Challis. She made an impassioned plea to members to help themselves and their businesses by selling their way to success - and, in doing so, they would also be helping to lift the UK out of recession. She also urged delegates to support the professional standing of sales in the UK by joining the ISMM and acquiring its accredited qualifications. She thanked the event's sponsor - The Telegraph Group - for its support, and was in turn thanked for her huge contribution to the sales profession in the UK over the last 15 years by ISMM President, Eric Peacock.
Then it was on to the main event, chaired by TV and radio personality Jeremy Jacobs. Throughout the day, Jacobs introduced the speakers and challenged the audience with his own thoughts and nuggets of advice. He started by citing a recent survey in the US which found that 48% of tele-salespeople give up after their first sales call, yet many customers buy after being approached on at least four occasions. He quoted Winston Churchill: “Never, never give up”.
Read more about Jeremy Jacobs at “Successful Selling 2009″
Jeremy Jacobs pictured with international business speaker, Geoff Burch at Successful Selling 2009
sell gold
A pearl earrings is something that many women are devoted to and jewelry formed with pearls always own a positive classiness to its structure. With pearl necklaces, you’ll be required to do a pair of things to keep it becoming attractively and clear. Not together from definite caring of method that you ought to do to keep it off from missing their brightness, here are several definite things you have to avoid to stay it in very well class, too.
The common care and safety
Pearl jewelries are available in some different characters but are really formed from the same composition. So, the things you have to keep away for one sort of pearl is the equal point that you must to keep away from the same as the others.
Since a pearl is an organic precious stone, here are certain problem that will remove a little of its inherent sparkle and among the things that are able to destroy a pearl’s ordinary attraction are acids and alcohol.
If you want to seem to be fine and smell good as wearing your pretty pearl jewelry, you had better to keep away from touching your pearls with perfume and hairspray since this stuff has definite chemical factors that possibly will influede your pearl jewelry of its shining sparkle.
Perspiration possibly will also beat pearls and as your pearls are affected as of some of these substances, you must be better gently rub them away. You can use a moistured cloth or you are able to rinse your pearls in balmy soapy water to avoid of every substances that might sooner or later beat the astonishing thing of your pearl bracelets.
Keep on your Pearls Away from These Material
Several additional point you must do on taking care your pearl rings is to stay protecting from heats and from direct rays. Other substances that have to be avoided are detergents, fruit juices and vinegar. These material can surely worsening your pearl rings. Thus, you had better to keep your pearls away from these material.
A bracelets box Is also Important
Taking care is a must, as well. Then, a jewelry box is awfully helpful. While you save your pearl rings, make sure that your pearls are saved in a place or a box totally on its own to keep off being smashed by other pieces of other jewelries. Although pearls are firm, there is still an indication that they are able to become scratched and saving them in their specific box will keep on them protected.
Having and wearing pearl jewelry is a symbol of satisfaction. Several pearl owners understand how to store them clean and safe from worsening and damaging. These are some of the things that every pearl bracelets owner should know.
~Left~
Outfit:
Subscribomatic Join Gift from DPD [Plaid Romper] can be worn with or without cute little jacket!
~Doux Couture~
~Right~
Dress:
Old Check One Piece Brown 60 L( I bought this a few weeks ago and kept forgetting to take photos)
~Shirohato~
~Left~
Necklace:
Love Lock Down Necklace ~ Lucky Cupcake Prize
~Doux Petit Dahl~
Bangle:
Pink Bangle freebie here
~With Sugar On Top ~
Dress:
Lolita Special Edition Purple Party 50 L
~With Sugar On Top ~
Hat:
TortoiseShell Amber Glasses Glasses and Purple Top Hat Free here
~RagDollz~
~Right~
Outfit:
Raggedy Ann Opening Freebie
~RagDollz~
Shoulder Pet:
Batty Cuppies 35 L
~Sanu~
Gown:
Phenom Dress comes with both skirt styles shown 1 L (Thanks Linda)
~Sascha’s~
Skin:
Prom Queen ~ New Group gift from Sympony Skin go to store and join group then check notices
~Symphony Skins~
~Left~
Jewelry:
One of 4 sets of Jewelry ~Final Group Gift everything instore is 50% off as Kyccies is going out of business
~Kyccies~
Outfit:
Marbel Denim Black 10 L
~Ivalde~
~Right~
Outfit:
Halter and Shorts free
Socks:
Socks and Gloves Lucky Chair Prize
~RagDollz~
~Left~
Dress:
ElizabethRose dress free here today only to Wetherbys Group Members
~Wetherbys~
~Right~
Lingerie:
Krisie ~ Subscribomatic Join Gift from Sweet Little
~Doux Couture~
Hair:
All Hair worn in post from Magika ~ Not Free price for hair is 199 L
~Magika~