1-Minute Arraignment Expedites Fleiss Case

Accused madam Heidi Fleiss was arraigned Friday after her indictment by a county grand jury in a procedural move that will allow authorities to forgo a preliminary hearing and bring her directly to trial.

The pandering and narcotics charges--to which Fleiss again pleaded not guilty--were the same as those brought against her last month in Municipal Court. At the behest of the district attorney’s office, however, the Municipal Court charges were replaced by a grand jury indictment--a technical move that will expedite her case and allow it to be sent directly to trial in Superior Court.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Alan Carter said he favored the shift in part because he hopes to ease the media frenzy over the case.

“I’m not prosecuting this lawsuit to put on a circus,” Carter said, “and I don’t see the vilification and the persecution that this defendant has been subjected to as a proper part of the process.”

The one-minute arraignment Friday was a far quieter affair than the unprecedented crush caused by Fleiss’ August appearance. Only a handful of reporters were in court for her unannounced early morning appearance before Superior Court Judge Lance Ito. The accused madam and her attorney managed to duck into and out of the courtroom virtually unnoticed.

The case is due back in court Nov. 19 for a pretrial hearing. However, Carter said Fleiss has waived her right to be present at that proceeding, and it is likely that only her attorney, Anthony Brooklier, will be there. An appearance that had been scheduled for next week was canceled.

Fleiss is accused of five counts of pandering by procuring the services of Samantha Burdette, Brandi McClain, Kimberly Burch and Peggy Schinke on June 8 and June 9, when they were taken into custody during a sting operation at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Posing as Japanese businessmen, a group of police officers from three local agencies had made earlier arrangements with Fleiss for a “party” at the hotel that would include the services of four prostitutes, one of whom would supply an eighth of an ounce of cocaine, prosecutors allege.

Carter said Fleiss was released on her own recognizance and given three days to post $100,000 bail.