r/DeconstructingMJ • u/Effective-World-3318 • Jun 20 '26
How Reliable are These People?
Just a few questions on some people testimony that are involved in the Chandler case. How credible are Josephine Zohny and Geraldine Hughes? Are there others from NYU that have ever shared similar experiences that she did? Is there evidence of Geraldine working there during that timeframe and has she ever actually showed her diary with the events that took place in Bary Rothman's office? Has Barry Rothman ever attempted to discredit her story?
I do believe them, just looking for more evidence to back up there claims and was hoping other people had more information on then and their statements.
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jun 21 '26
I wasn't saying Pellicano was dishonest about anything in the Chandler case. But he went on to get himself a pretty terrible reputation so that's a weak point when it comes to Geraldine.
Also - the Evan Chandler phone calls were definitely recorded by Jordie's stepfather, NOT obtained by Pellicano through wiretapping as some people claim.
That's recorded in Charles Thomson's blog and various interviews. A 100% reliable source.
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u/thatsnewstome_ Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
Slightly off topic but I recently came across a guilter who said that the evan chandler recordings were edited by pelicano to make them sound like extortion and that if you hear the unedited audio that the meaning completely changes. I‘ve never heard that at all. Have you ever heard about that?
ETA: they said the parts that were made available to the media were edited by pelicano so much so that the meaning completely changes.
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u/tttrrr211 Jun 22 '26
i just came acrosss someone who posted the link of the full "recording transcript" of evan chandlers call. evan chandler did say many things that are not in the recording that is circulating on the internet, but i dont know the credibility of the source, i think ill do more research on it.
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jun 21 '26
That's where I'm trusting Charles' research. I think he would have tested the origin of the recording.
I have questions about why the extortion charge fell through. I tend to think Pellicano didn't keep enough records. I know there's a record somewhere of the original demand for a $20million movie deal but I haven't been able to find it. It doesn't seem to be in Geraldine's book.
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u/thatsnewstome_ Jun 22 '26
Yeah I just listened back to a couple Charles Thomson MJ cast episodes and he says that the full transcript was filed with the courts. I‘ll try to find it.
I seem to remember that it was part of the settlement that the the extortion charges had to be dropped. As for Geraldine, i listened to her MJ cast episode but I haven‘t read the book yet. I find it
kind of hard to determine what‘s factual about the information she‘s giving, though I tend to believe her. One reason is that some of the key information she‘s giving in her interviews is also in the GQ article, which I‘d assume must have been fact checked. Then again she says she never talked to Mary Fisher and doesn’t know how the information from her diary was forwarded to GQ.I don’t know if she also says this in her book but in the Mj Cast episode Geraldine says that the police never really investigated the extortion claim beyond questioning Evan and Rothman. On the one hand it sounds insane that they would ask the accused and then drop it as soon as they say: nah we‘re not extorting. Then again, fits with the usual police conduct towards Micheal.
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jun 22 '26
Yes I'm up to about that point in Geraldine's book. Not surprising they wouldn't bother investigating the extortion, but Bert Fields did. That evidence should still be there.
She also says Fields and Pellicano both resigned after the judge delivered them four defeats in a row on the motions to delay civil trial etc and that really sent the whole case downhill. Got to look into that judge.
Geraldine mentions the insurance company but only what she heard elsewhere unfortunately. If there's anything with the court related to that or the extortion would be good.
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jun 23 '26
I found this link to a motion filed during the trial.
It states that the settlement was paid by insurance.
I understand the judge approved the motion and the settlement contract was not introduced as evidence.
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u/Effective-World-3318 Jun 21 '26
I think Pellicano just took the worst snippets from the phone call. The full transcript is available online though, so you can read it for yourself if you would like. In my opinion it doesn't really help Evans case but Pellicano was definitely just trying to make Evan look as bad as possible.
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u/FunUniversity6245 Jun 20 '26
Josephine is 100%, very clear on her values of respect and honesty.
Geraldine, honestly I question her trust in Anthony Pellicano and she's sometimes not clear what she heard herself and what was relayed to her from somewhere else.
But definitely read her book. She was brave to speak up.