A California judge Thursday dismissed Robert Blake's lawyer from the actor's case, a move expected to delay the murder trial indefinitely.
Citing "irreconcilable differences" between Blake and Thomas Mesereau Jr., Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Darlene Schempp relieved Mesereau of his duties. The action came after the judge met with Blake and Mesereau for 40 minutes.
Blake is due back in court February 23 with a new attorney, which would be his fourth.The change is expected to delay the trial. Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Shellie Samuels said there are more than 60,000 pages of discovery documents that a new counsel would have to go over before trying the case.
Jury selection was scheduled to start February 17.
Blake, 70, who once starred in the 1970s police detective show "Baretta," is charged with killing his 44-year-old wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside a restaurant where they had dined on May 4, 2001.
He has denied committing the crime.
Blake had previously lost two attorneys because they objected when he insisted that he wanted to give TV interviews.
The first, Harland Braun, left in October 2002 after Blake agreed to talk to ABC's Diane Sawyer, an interview that never took place. (Full story)
The second, Jennifer Keller, left because of Blake's wish to be interviewed by Barbara Walters. Mesereau signed on as Blake's lawyer in November 2002, and said last year he would remain despite the actor's wishes to conduct television interviews. (Full story)
