Some call the trial a circus. City Attorney's Office lawyers say Yagman is showboating by calling officials who served as long ago as 1979. But for many officials waiting in the witness room, it's something of a reunion, although reactions have varied from irritation to bemusement.... For many of the witnesses, the trial that began Thursday has turned into a reluctant homecoming of sorts: a chance to catch up on careers, families and hobbies. Alatorre and Yaroslavsky spent time in a witness room, comparing notes on University of California, Los Angeles, athletics. State Sen. Richard Alarcon, who served on the council in 1993-98, had to fly in from Sacramento. "It's one responsibility of the position," he said of his cameo, lasting just a few minutes.

The veteran host seems more interested in celebrities and crime, diminishing not only his own reputation and influence, but that of CNN as well...And it shows in the ratings. The veteran host has seen his audience decline substantially in recent years as viewers gravitate toward more aggressive programs such as Fox News's "Hannity & Colmes." Fewer than one million people tune in each weeknight, on average, for "Larry King Live," according to Nielsen Media Research, down from 1.5 million three years ago. That's far behind "Hannity & Colmes," which leads cable news networks in the 9-10 p.m. hour with almost 1.6 million viewers.