Prosecution Rests Its Case in Fleiss Trial : Courts: One of the alleged prostitutes testifies on videotape that she was dispatched by the defendant to a lavish Beverly Hills hotel suite.

After four days of sometimes steamy testimony by two glamorous alleged prostitutes and an undercover Beverly Hills detective, the prosecution in the trial of accused Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss rested Friday.

Fleiss, dressed in a mini-skirted, bone-colored suit, appeared relaxed during the brief afternoon proceedings. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of pandering and possession of cocaine for sale. She faces a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison.

In court proceedings Friday afternoon, Kimberly Burch, who is recovering from a medical problem, was unavailable to testify in court. Instead, she was filmed on videotape Friday morning and questioned by lawyers from both sides at an undisclosed public building.

Burch testified on tape that Fleiss had dispatched her to a lavish Beverly Hills hotel suite to provide--along with three other women--sexual favors to four Japanese businessmen, who turned out to be undercover police.

The evening was going to mark her first act of prostitution, Burch said. “I never had sex for money,” she whispered.

On the tape, Burch appeared anxious, frequently dabbing her hand toward her face and speaking so softly that she was almost inaudible. Atop her below-the-shoulder, jet-black hair she wore a black beret.

“You expected to engage in sex for money, didn’t you?” Burch was asked on the tape by Deputy Dist. Atty. Alan Carter.

“Yes, I did,” she answered. “I knew what was expected.”

Under cross-examination by Fleiss’ attorney Donald Marks, Burch said she had a difficult time understanding the men because they spoke what she believed was Japanese, although it turned out the officers were faking the language. Burch testified that one officer, speaking in broken English, counted out $1,500 in $100 bills and asked what sexual acts she would perform for that fee. She said she expected to give Fleiss 40% of the money and keep the rest.

“Do you remember an Asian businessman saying words to the effect of (wanting) the ‘American special’ or the ‘American thing’?” Marks asked.

The woman said she did not remember.

Burch and the three other women were dancing and disrobing when “about 20” officers stormed into the suite, which was under police surveillance, she said.

After the proceedings Friday, Carter declined to discuss his decision to call no more witnesses. Carter has apparently decided not to call two of the other three alleged prostitutes who went to the hotel suite that fateful June, 1993, evening--Peggy Schinke and Brandi McClain--to the witness stand, even though the women were granted immunity in exchange for testimony.

Earlier in the week, another alleged prostitute, Samantha Burdette, testified that she visited the Beverly Hills hotel suite on two consecutive evenings after being directed there by Fleiss. One evening, as requested by Fleiss, she delivered cocaine, she testified.

Defense attorneys say when court resumes Monday they expect to call to the stand several police officers involved in the arrest. So far, only Beverly Hills Detective Sammy Lee has testified.

“How serious is this ‘crime’ and would it have occurred if not for what the police did?” asked Fleiss’ attorney Anthony Brooklier. “This is activity that has its genesis in a police department somewhere.”