David Letterman Extortion Update: Judge refuses to dismiss case

With all of the hype about Jay & Conan, it seems that David Letterman's extortion case has been all but forgotten, which Dave is probably fine with. However, it did pop up in the news again today, as Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon (great name for a judge!) ruled against Robert "Joe" Halderman's bid to get his attempted grand larceny case dismissed, according to the Associated Press.

"Whether Halderman's conduct was blackmail or business 'is a classic example of an issue that is best left for a trial jury to decide,' Solomon wrote," says the AP story. "The 52-year-old Halderman, a producer for CBS' '48 Hours Mystery,' could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He and his lawyer declined to comment outside court. His next court date is March 9."

Halderman, of course, claimed that he was simply trying to sell Dave a "screenplay" about a randy talk show host who sleeps with his staffers -- it was in no way blackmail or extortion. Now a jury will have to make that determination.

The saga was dramatized on a ripped-from-the-headlines "Law & Order" last week, starring Samantha Bee of "The Daily Show" as the host of a "View"-like program who has been having affairs with staffers. The "L&O" twist -- Sam's character was having same-sex liaisons! Oh, and there was a murder. So far, at least, the Halderman/Letterman imbroglio has been casualty-free.