Former Spector lawyer says found evidence at scene

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A former lawyer for Phil Spector said at a hearing on Thursday into accusations of evidence tampering that the rock producer's defense team found potential crime scene evidence that was overlooked by police.

The testimony from Sara Caplan, a former defense lawyer, comes one day after a former law clerk on Spector's defense team, Greg Diamond, came forward to claim that Spector's lawyers had found evidence that was never turned over to prosecutors.

Spector, 67, is charged with shooting actress Lana Clarkson, 40, to death in the foyer of his mock castle in the foothills outside Los Angeles on February 3, 2003.

Caplan, who no longer represents Spector, acknowledged spotting a small white object the size of a fingernail at the crime scene, but contradicted testimony by Diamond that she had picked up the object.

Prosecutors have long accused Spector's defense attorneys of withholding just such a piece of evidence, which has never been produced in court, but it was not yet clear what impact Diamond's testimony could have on the trial.

Caplan emphatically denied picking up any evidence.

"I would never touch an object at an alleged crime scene ever," said Caplan. "I value my ethical responsibilities very highly."

But under cross examination by a prosecutor, she acknowledged spotting an object the size of a finger nail, which she says was collected by famed forensic scientist Henry Lee and placed into a plastic vial.

Spector has changed defense teams twice since his arrest and no longer employs attorney Robert Shapiro, who was leading his defense at the time and working with Caplan and Lee.