Prison authorities are refusing to allow jailed music producer Phil Spector to attend court when his bid to recoup $1 million (£666,700) in legal fees from a celebrity attorney goes before a jury on 7 March (11).
Spector is serving 19 years behind bars for the fatal shooting of actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra, California home in 2003, for which he was convicted in May 2009.
He is embroiled in a legal fight with lawyer Robert Shapiro, who he hired as his first legal counsel after the shooting.
Spector paid huge fees to Shapiro, who's also represented O.J. Simpson, but later parted ways with the high-profile lawyer and went on to be convicted of second-degree murder after two trials.
Spector is demanding a refund of the fees, amounting to $1 million, and in December (10) Judge Malcolm MACkey ruled the case should be heard before a jury.
However, at a pre-trial hearing on Friday (25Feb11), Spector's new lawyer Michael Dempsey told Judge MACkey that bosses at California's Corcoran State Prison will not allow for the shamed producer to be moved for the trial.
He will now testify via a taped deposition.