Authorities in the US are investigating an internet posting that appeared to threaten the judge in music producer Phil Spector’s murder trial.

The judge in Phil Spector’s US murder trial has given the deadlocked jury new instructions with several scenarios as to how the record producer might have killed actress Lana Clarkson.

The judge presiding in the murder trial of music producer Phil Spector decided today he would not allow the hung jury to consider a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Phil Spector's young wife has been told she faces a contempt of court charge if reports she's planning to prematurely speak out about her husband's murder trial are true.

Phil Spector today denied making statements attributed to him criticising the judge and the jury pool in his murder trial.

Phil Spector’s murder trial is headed toward closing arguments next week with his former defence lawyer gone and a newly appointed man on the music producer’s legal team.

Phil Spector's lawyers have asked a judge to tell US jurors they must find the record producer either guilty or not guilty of murder with no option to find lesser offences such as voluntary or involuntary manslaughter in the death of actress Lana Clarkson.

Phil Spector's often-absent lead lawyer, Bruce Cutler, today announced that he is leaving the US music producer's murder case because of "a difference of opinion between Mr Spector and me on strategy".

Jurors visited the California mansion of music producer Phil Spector today to get a first-hand look at the place where actress Lana Clarkson died four years ago.

Two months after music producer Phil Spector's murder trial began, the defence began its effort today to show that actress Lana Clarkson killed herself.

Lawyers for record producer Phil Spector cannot immediately use what they claimed are diary-like writings of a suicidal vision taken from the computer of the woman Spector is accused of murdering, a clearly irritated judge ruled today.

The Phil Spector murder trial erupted in intense arguments outside the jury’s presence today over whether the defence can introduce a diary written by gunshot victim Lana Clarkson in which she wrote of her visions of a dead actress, depression over her acting career and fascination with guns.

A criminalist who examined evidence for Phil Spector’s murder trial testified in a hearing that a missing piece of acrylic fingernail from shooting victim Lana Clarkson’s hand may or may not be of value in reconstructing the actress’ death at the record producer’s home.

Testimony in Phil Spector's murder trial has been cancelled until Wednesday because one of his attorneys had to see a doctor and immigration rallies were planned in the Los Angeles city centre area.

Police who found actress Lana Clarkson dead in Phil Spector's mansion "had murder on their mind" and disregarded anything that was inconsistent with that conclusion, a defence lawyer told the jury today in his opening statement of the music producer's trial.

An actress shot dead at Phil Spector’s mansion was the last of several women victimised by the legendary music producer in a decades-long series of alcohol-fuelled confrontations, a prosecutor told jurors today as the murder trial began.

AN ACTRESS shot dead at Phil Spector’s mansion was the last of several women victimised by the legendary music producer in a decades-long series of alcohol-fuelled confrontations, a prosecutor told jurors yesterday as the murder trial began.

Four men and two women were seated today as alternate jurors for music producer Phil Spector's trial on a charge of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in southern California

Prospective jurors for record producer Phil Spector’s murder trial were told that they would remain anonymous to the public for their own privacy and they should not think they were in any danger.

Prospective jurors for record producer Phil Spector's murder trial were told today that they would remain anonymous to the public for their own privacy and they should not think they were in any danger.

JURY selection began yesterday in the murder trial of legendary music producer Phil Spector — four years after an actress who starred in a cult movie was shot to death in the foyer of his castle-like home.

Four years after an actress was shot dead in the foyer of his castle-like home, jury selection begins today in the case of US music producer Phil Spector.

THE judge in the murder case against music producer Phil Spector said he was leaning towards allowing the trial to be televised and would make a decision later this month.

The judge in the murder case against music producer Phil Spector said today he is leaning toward allowing the trial to be televised and will make a decision after hearing from lawyers later this month.

Phil Spector went home appearing shaken after his lawyers failed to persuade a judge to limit evidence in his forthcoming murder trial, including statements that the legendary music producer made without being advised of his right to remain silent.