Robert Tourtelot served as Mark Fuhrman's personal attorney during the criminal trial, representing the detective's interests in proceedings where Fuhrman's own conduct was under scrutiny. He appeared most prominently during the defense's renewed Pitchess motion seeking access to Fuhrman's LAPD personnel and Internal Affairs files, where he consented to in camera review of the personnel records but pushed back sharply against releasing Internal Affairs materials, characterizing the underlying allegations as "unsubstantiated rumors" and arguing that disclosure of an ongoing investigation would be "terribly unfair" to his client. His role highlighted the unusual position Fuhrman occupied in the trial — a key prosecution witness who needed his own lawyer to navigate the legal crossfire between the defense's attacks on his credibility and the department's internal processes.