Dec 12, 2007 11:29 am US/Eastern
'Sopranos' Creator In Court
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) ―
-
-
David Chase was in federal court Wednesday to defend his role in creating the Emmy-winning HBO mob drama, "The Sopranos." (File)
AP
David Chase was in federal court Wednesday to defend his role in creating
the Emmy-winning HBO mob drama, "The Sopranos."
The case was brought by a former New
Jersey municipal court judge who claims his ideas
helped Chase come up with the plot for the show.
Chase arrived at the Trenton
courthouse with two lawyers, but declined to comment.
Thirty-one prospective jurors were in the courtroom, where they were told
eight would be chosen to hear the case, which is expected to take eight days.
Chase, dressed in a black suit, sat at a table with his lawyers. His wife,
Denise Chase, who is vice president of his production company, was also seated
at the table.
Opening statements were expected after the lunch break.
Robert Baer, also a former assistant prosecutor in Union and Hudson counties, sued Chase in 2002, claiming he suggested
a TV show about organized crime in New Jersey
and gave Chase a crash course on the North Jersey
mob. He wants credit and compensation.
A federal judge dismissed Baer's lawsuit twice, but those rulings were
overturned.
The legal dispute centers on Baer's role in developing the show in 1995,
years before "The Sopranos" became a cable sensation.
Baer claims Chase's ideas came after Baer arranged meetings with police
detectives and other experts and escorted him around mob sites in the
Newark-Elizabeth area.
Chase called Baer's claims "grossly distorted, petulant and
self-aggrandizing," and said Baer provided a "modest service,"
arranging to introduce him to individuals who were experienced in certain
facets of organized crime.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments