Pellicano lawyer asks for retrial

A newly appointed attorney for recently convicted private eye Anthony Pellicano has filed court documents alleging jury bias and misconduct and asking for a new trial.

In court documents filed Monday, San Francisco-based attorney Steven Gruel said that a juror had told his investigators that some deliberating occurred without the full jury present, and that the forewoman lied to the judge, saying she did not hear the prosecutor characterize a lead defense witness as a liar.

Pellicano, known as a private eye to the stars, was his own attorney during a lengthy trial in which he was ultimately convicted in May of numerous federal charges, including wire-tapping, racketeering, and computer fraud.

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-- Sam Quinones