Robert Halderman, the “48 Hours” producer awaiting trial for attempting to extort $2 million from David Letterman, is seeking a plea bargain that would have him only serve one year in jail. Last October, Halderman threatened to expose the talk show host’s affairs to the public.
The offer won’t be considered by the office of outgoing Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau, the sources said, because prosecutors feel the call should be made by Cyrus Vance Jr., who will take office in January.
Halderman’s lawyer, Gerald Shargel, denied knowing anything about an offer. “There have been no plea negotiations. None whatsoever,” Shargel said.
Instead, Shargel said he plans to forge ahead this week, filing additional papers on his motion to dismiss the charges.
Armed with the tapes, cops busted Halderman Oct. 1. He is free on $200,000 bail.
Shargel has filed papers demanding dismissal of the charges, arguing that the proposed transaction was nothing more than a TV.
If convicted by a jury, the maximum sentence Halderman can get is 15 years, which is much longer than what he’s seeking.
As I predicted, Letterman’s image remains untarnished. By quickly admitting to his infidelities, he’s escaped any constant scrutiny. Tiger Woods should have paid attention.
