Judge Refuses to Throw Out Belushi Hearing Subpoenas

A Florida judge’s refusal to quash subpoenas for a National Enquirer editor and reporter probably means that they will appear at a Los Angeles preliminary hearing for the woman charged with murder in the drug overdose murder of comedian John Belushi, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Eldon Fox--who subpoenaed Enquirer editor Iain Calder and reporter Larry Haley, both Florida residents, along with reporter Anthony Brenna, a Southern California resident--said a Palm Beach County judge refused to throw the subpoenas out of court, but the ruling could be appealed.

Enquirer attorney Gerson Zweidach indicated that he may do just that.

Haley and Brenna wrote a June, 1982, article entitled “I Killed John Belushi,” quoting Cathy Evelyn Smith to the effect that she administered a fatal drug injection of heroin and cocaine to Belushi in March, 1982, in Los Angeles.

Fox said the testimony of the National Enquirer editor and writers at Smith’s scheduled April 30 preliminary hearing is important in proving that the Canadian woman injected the star of television’s “Saturday Night Live” comedy series with the lethal “speedball.”

Earlier this month, Los Angeles County Municipal Judge Brian Crahan upheld the subpoena for Brenna, ruling that the California shield law, which protects reporters from divulging confidential sources, does not nullify the subpoena.