As Mark picked up earlier at LA Biz Observed, prominent lawyer Terry Christensen and former private eye Anthony Pellicano were convicted today of conspiring to illegally wiretap the ex-wife of Kirk Kerkorian. Pellicano was already toast, legally speaking, and headed to prison. But unless an appeal goes his way, it's a stunning downfall for Christensen. Free at the Los Angeles Business Journal:

They each face 10 years in prison and fines of $500,000. Sentencing will be Sept. 24 for Pellicano and Nov. 17 for Christensen.

A federal jury in downtown Los Angeles found Pellicano and Christensen guilty of wiretapping Lisa Bonder Kerkorian during a bitter child support battle.

Christensen is known in legal and financial circles as the longtime attorney for casino mogul Kerkorian. He is name partner at one of L.A.’s most prominent law firms.

In the L.A. Times story, the prosecutors say: "Mr. Christensen's use of Anthony Pellicano to illegally wiretap his adversary in order to gain a strategic advantage in litigation was a stain on the entire legal community. We are grateful to the jury for helping to eradicate that stain today."