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Fashion details are seen on an unidentified guest's dress as she arrives on the red carpet for the film "Vous n'Avez Encore Rien Vu" in competition at the 65th Cannes Film Festival, May 21, 2012. REUTERS/Yves Herman

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U.S. Army Captain Michael Kelvington, commander of the Battle company, 1-508 Parachute Infantry battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, bows next to remains of Gulam Dostager, a member of Afghan Local Police who was killed in the blast of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) during the joint Tor Janda (Black Flag in Pashtu) operation, in Zahri district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan May 25, 2012. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: MILITARY CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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Letterman extortionist released from NY jail

Former CBS television producer Robert Joel Halderman leaves New York State Supreme Court after speaking to the media March 9, 2010. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Former CBS television producer Robert Joel Halderman leaves New York State Supreme Court after speaking to the media March 9, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

NEW YORK | Thu Sep 2, 2010 12:15pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former television producer who tried to extort $2 million from talk show host David Letterman over his affairs with women was released from jail on Thursday, a city correctional department spokesman said.

Robert Joel Halderman, a former producer on the CBS news show "48 Hours", pleaded guilty in March to attempted grand larceny as part of a deal with prosecutors.

He was sentenced to six months in a New York City jail, but was released early after serving four months due to good behavior, the spokesman said.

Halderman had threatened to reveal details of Letterman's affairs with women who were employed on the 63-year-old talk show host's late night program.

The case became public in October and embarrassed Letterman who was forced to openly admit to the affairs on his "Late Show with David Letterman."

At the time that he pleaded guilty, Halderman said that he felt "great remorse" for his actions and apologized to Letterman.

He must now complete 1,000 hours of community service.

(Reporting by Bernd Debusmann Jr., editing by Christine Kearney)
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Comments (2)
rexbatt wrote:
Uh, you forgot to mention that Letterman slept with this guy’s wife, too.

Sep 03, 2010 10:07am EDT  --  Report as abuse
rexbatt wrote:
Really, you’re not going to point out that Letterman had an affair with this guy’s wife?

Sep 03, 2010 10:32am EDT  --  Report as abuse
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