That must have been some hearing in Superior Court yesterday over the DA's money-laundering case against trial attorney Pierce O'Donnell. The Daily Journal (sub req'd) wrote that "the hearing was packed with some of the state's most renowned defense attorneys," and staff writers for both the Times and Daily News covered the proceedings. Lawyers for O'Donnell argued that the misdemeanor charges of hiding $25,000 in contributions to Mayor Hahn's 2001 election campaign should be dismissed on various grounds. The judge sounded skeptical of the charges and said she would rule Feb. 10, the stories say. Prosecutors argued that the case against O'Donnell, and separate charges against friends and colleagues for aiding and abetting, are sound. The Daily Journal had previously reported that prosecutors are pressuring O'Donnell to implicate Hahn or someone high in the campaign hierarchy.

Also in the DJ: Lana Clarkson's mother is set to file a wrongful-death lawsuit today against Phil Spector, the paper says in a "the Daily Journal has learned" front-pager. The suit will say that Spector grabbed, hit, restrained and gunned down Clarkson and that she lived for awhile after being shot. I don't read the Journal often enough to know if this is the first time the word fucking has appeared on its front page (in a quote from Spector.) The story is by Blair Clarkson, and I'll assume no relation to Lana and Donna Clarkson.

* I should point out: Actually the Daily Journal is online for subscribers, who also pay for access to various legal databases. It's $79 a month or $628 a year.