Jurors Begin Deliberations in Baldwin Case

Jurors in the Alec Baldwin battery trial must decide whether they believe the movie star or a “stalkerazzi” photographer who Baldwin punched, a defense attorney said Thursday.

“This is a case that comes down to credibility. It comes down to credibility between Mr. Baldwin and Alan Zanger,” attorney Charles English said in his closing argument. His hand on his debonair client’s shoulder, English asked: “Do you believe upon a reasonable doubt that this man is a liar?”

Following English’s argument, the Van Nuys Municipal Court jury began deliberating in The People vs. Alexander Baldwin. No verdict was reached by the end of the day and deliberations resume today.

Baldwin is charged with one misdemeanor count of battery for allegedly breaking Zanger’s nose when the self-described celebrity stakeout specialist tried to videotape the homecoming of Baldwin’s wife, actress Kim Basinger, and their newborn daughter.

Zanger said the attack was unprovoked. But Baldwin testified that he acted in self-defense.

Deputy City Atty. Jeff Harkavy urged the eight-woman, four-man jury not to be swayed by Baldwin’s celebrity or Zanger’s unpopular profession.

“I hope none of us are around to see the day when justice is dispensed based on popularity,” Harkavy said. “I hope your verdict in this case will be based upon the facts and the law.”

“A crime is a crime.”

Baldwin’s blow provoked a debate about privacy in the media age, and English harped upon those issues as he drew a line between his expressive, elegantly attired client and Zanger, whom Baldwin described in testimony as “weird-looking.”

“You’re bringing your wife and baby home from the hospital--the first baby you’ve ever had--and this person is there to photograph it,” English said. “That’s really a very low kind of business to be in.”

Combining the terms for aggressive celebrity photographers and stalkers, English coined a new term for Zanger’s job: “stalkerazzi, someone who follows people around, follows people to their homes.”

English contended that Zanger, hoping to cash in on a $1-million lawsuit his attorney filed against Baldwin the day after the incident, falsely portrayed Baldwin as the aggressor. He pointed out that despite Zanger’s claim that Baldwin was yelling when the actor approached the photographer’s truck, no shouting can be heard on Zanger’s videotape, which was played in court.

English also said Zanger, seeking more lucrative footage, caused the confrontation by leaping out of the truck where he had hidden, and continuing to film. After a brief standoff, Zanger swung his camera as if to hit Baldwin, and that was what caused the actor to strike out at the camera, shoving it into Zanger’s face, English said.

Zanger, 5 feet 7 and 160 pounds, had testified that his camera had been turned off and pointed to the ground when he was struck by the 6-foot-tall, 200-pound actor. Baldwin said the photographer twice charged him, forcing him to kick and shove Zanger. Zanger denied doing so.

English also differed with the prosecution’s contention that Baldwin in effect confessed when he told arriving officers he was “wrong” and “sorry.” Baldwin was politely expressing regret the incident had occurred, the lawyer said.

“He happens to be a well-known actor but [Baldwin] is also a nice man. He’s a caring man . . . Mr. Zanger cares about money, and that’s his human value.”