September 2010 Archives

Sarah Palin is a polarizing figure on the political compass who can bring up strong emotions from those who love, hate, or love to hate her. And that is just the sane among us. For those who are a bit less balanced in their approach to politics or just life, there is the need for a protective order. That is just what Palin has done, seeking and receiving court ordered restraint against her alleged stalker Shawn R. Christy.

Alaska Magistrate Judge Colleen Ray has granted the motion by the former governor to have a protective order issued against the 18 year-old Pennsylvania man, according to the Associated Press. Palin has claimed Christy made implied threats, saying Palin should "watch her back," and insinuating violence through sending her a receipt for the purchase of a gun.

Deadliest Catch is ending with three popular stars jumping ship. Cast members and ship captains Sig Hansen, Jonathan Hillstrand, and Andy Hillstrand are leaving the show after the Discovery channel filed suit against the Hillstrand brothers for breach of contract seeking over $3 million in damages.

Sig Hansen is quoted in People, "We have been through a lot over the past year and unfortunately given the current situation with Discovery we are unable to continue participating in Deadliest Catch. It has been a fantastic ride and we wish the best to all the amazing and supportive Catch fans we have met over the years."

Jeffrey Jones is best known for his role as an over the top principal in the cult classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He also starred in Beetlejuice and Ed Wood. In between his acting jobs, Jones added a new credit to his name: sex offender. Now, ABC News reports that Jeffrey Jones plead guilty to failing to update his sex offender status.

In 2003, Jones plead no contest in a case that charged the actor with "employing a teenage boy to pose for sexual explicit photos." As part of his sentence, Jones was required to register as a sex offender, and as is the case with every sex offender he was required to keep his information updated every year.

Pierce Marshall and Anna Nicole Smith. Although both individuals have been deceased for at least a couple of years, their legal battle is alive and well. The 14-month marriage between elderly Texas oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall II and the former topless dancer ended with Marshall's death at the age of eighty nine. His will left all of his money to his now deceased son Pierce Marshall. Since J. Howard Marshall's death, Smith has been seeking her promised share of his estate.

Pleading her case to state and federal courts since 1995, Smith was awarded $474 million at one point by a U.S. district court, before the award was ultimately reduced to nothing. Despite the tremendous amount of wealth left in the estate, both parties refused to settle as allegations of will tampering, undue influence, and gold digging have been slung by both parties of the suit. Now, ABC News reports that the Anna Nicole Smith case is now headed back the Supreme Court for yet another review. The large inheritance would now go to Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead.

One husband, four wives, thirteen children, and three stepchildren. Those are the cast members on the new TLC show Sister Wives. Now, to the surprise of no one but the twenty one people named above, the Sister Wives family is being investigated for bigamy.

CBS reports that the Sister Wives family may be charged with bigamy -- a third degree felony in the state of Utah. Although rarely prosecuted, the investigation was inspired by all the publicity the show has received leading up to the it's debut this Sunday. Lt. Darren Paul is quoted, "At the conclusion of the investigation, the evidence will be forwarded to the Utah County Attorney's Office for review and possible prosecution." Fines and prison time are the typical punishment for those bigamy cases that are prosecuted, with increased sentencing for each marriage.

Heiress Paris Hilton may have legal troubles that transcend U.S. borders, but the reality star does know how to do one legal thing right: trademark her catch phrase "that's hot". The Paris Hilton Hallmark settlement was announced late last week, drawing to a close the case which pitted Paris against the feel-good cardmaker for damages over $500,000.

E! Online reports on the settlement: "Hallmark had contended the card was a parody protected under the First Amendment and fair-use laws, but that argument was shot down by a federal court of appeals, paving the way for a December trial." Hilton has had the phrase "that's hot" trademarked since February 2007.

Celebrity divorces are so common that there is an entire Celebrity Justice category just for this very occurrence. The latest couple to hit the matrimonial chopping block? Nancy Wilson has filed for divorce from her husband of over twenty years, filmmaker Cameron Crowe. The Oscar-winning director and songstress have 10 year-old twins together.

According to Celebrity Circuit, Nancy filed for divorce citing the oh-so-popular irreconcilable differences as the reason for the surprise split. Although irreconcilable differences can mean anything, there has been very little industry speculation behind the actual reason for the divorce. The papers, filed on September 16, did note that the couple have been separated since 2008 -- a fact that was unknown to many. But there is a big difference between being separated and severing all legal ties through a divorce.

It wouldn't be a Friday on FindLaw's Celebrity Justice without a small update on at least one of our favorite scoff-law celebs. Last Friday, it was the news that actress Lindsay Lohan had failed her court ordered drug test. With a stop-over for Paris, in court on drug charges on Tuesday, again this Friday it is Lohan, back in court and as of this morning, back in jail. There is new sheriff (well, actually new judge) in town and he had our Lindsay Lohan cuffed and headed back to jail for this possible probation violation.

The probation violation stemming from earlier convictions on charges of drunk driving, use of a controlled substance and reckless driving should still be called "possible" because today's court session was not the actual probation violation hearing. According to CNN, the actress came before Judge Elden Fox on a status hearing and preliminary revocation of her probation to decide where exactly she will await the hearing, scheduled for October 22. Would it perhaps be the Chateau Marmont?

David Beckham Threesome With Prostitutes. That was the headline splashed all over US Magazine, the oh-so-popular weekly source for all things celebrity. The problem is that Beckham says that racy allegations are untrue and the soccer star is now suing US Magazine over the prostitute story. The article essentially claimed that Beckham had a threesome with some high-paid escorts in 2007. The article also quotes a 26 year-old prostitute claiming to have slept with Beckham on multiple occasions.

What? Lindsay Lohan finally wins in court? Well not exactly, but actress Lindsay Lohan has reached a favorable settlement in her "Milkaholic" e-trade suit. The suit, which sought $100 million in damages, claimed that Lindsay "the milkaholic" baby was modeled after Lohan without her permission. Specifically, Lohan argued that the digitally-mastered baby violated her privacy.

The E-Trade ads were featured as commercials during the last Super Bowl and Winter Olympics -- primetime entertainment that Lohan claims brought in millions of dollars for the New York-based company as a result of illegally using her name and image. E-Trade spokeswoman Allison Jeannotte is quoted by ABC News: "It was a simple business decision. We always have to consider the cost and time involved in litigation. With the case now withdrawn, we are pleased to have this matter behind us."

Celebrities and cocaine, is anyone else noticing a trend here? The latest star to grab headlines for possession of the white powder is singer Bruno Mars. The chart topper (real name: Peter Hernandez) was arrested for cocaine possession after a bathroom attendant at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas caught him with the drug.

According to TMZ, the celebrity news outlet that always seems to sniff out the dirty details, a bathroom attendant notified hotel security when he saw a man with a white baggy in the stall. When police later asked Bruno Mars to hand over any drugs he may have, "This is when Hernandez, with his left hand, pulled out a while powder substance, which was consistent with cocaine, from his left-front jeans pocket." Bruno Mars was arrested after police confirmed the substances to, in fact, be cocaine.

In a previous post, we discussed the guilty plea made by Paris Hilton before a court in Las Vegas, Nevada, for misdemeanor drug possession charges. As a sidebar, a suggestion was made that since Paris now has a criminal record in the states of California and Nevada, as well as detentions in South Africa and Corsica for similar, um, issues, Ms. Hilton might like to find a fresh jurisdiction in which to frolic. Either Paris Hilton is a fan of FindLaw.com, or truth is stranger than fiction, upon attempting to enter Japan yesterday, she was promptly detained by authorities.

Just after finishing her hearing, Paris boarded a plane for Tokyo for a previously scheduled appearance to promote her fashion line, according to The Washington Post. Upon arrival in Japan, the deeply blonde traveler was detained at the airport and questioned by immigration officials for several hours regarding her guilty plea on the drug possession charges. After the questioning was complete, Paris was told she must remain in the airport hotel until the issue was resolved according to Britain's Daily Mail.

It seems like just yesterday when we discussed the consequences of a possible failed drug test from troubled drama queen Lindsay Lohan. Well it wasn't yesterday, it was two days ago. Today, news reports confirm that the actress has indeed failed at least one of the court required drug tests

According to CNN, Judge Eldon Fox has revoked Lohan's probation and signed a bench warrant. The warrant will not be enforced unless Lohan does not show up for her court hearing, which is scheduled for Friday morning, September 24.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ... and more on that urban myth in a moment. What is not currently staying in Vegas is news that Paris Hilton has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of drug possession and received a sentence of one year on probation. The sentence was the result of a plea agreement on the charges of felony cocaine possession that Paris was arrested for at the end of August.

If you recall, our favorite blond celebutante allegedly tried to explain away the cocaine that dropped out of her purse during a traffic stop by Vegas police by saying the purse wasn't hers. Sadly, the heiress's own twitter-fingers did that defense in, as she had TwitPic'ed a picture of the new Chanel bag just weeks before, burbling, "Love my new Chanel purse I got today."

Raising Sextuplets star Bryan Masche has been arrested on charges a dad of six should never be accused of -- domestic violence. The 32 year-old Masche was at a family's home in Arizona when he lost his temper and began to make verbal threats toward his relatives. When local police arrived on the scene, he tacked on another charge by refusing to cooperate with autorities.

According to People, Bryan Masche now faces domestic violence, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest charges. The children (now three years old) were not around at the time of the incident, but it is unclear whether the threats were against his wife, Jenny, or another family member. In a rather telling interview with People a few years ago, Mashe is quote about his marriage, "We have totally brutal fights. We both have an understanding in our minds that there is no out. So if we are going to be stuck with each other for the next 80 years, we better make it good."

Holy Randy Quaid arrest! The Batman and Robin of crime commission (as opposed to crime prevention) have struck again. Randy and Evi Quaid were arrested this past weekend for allegedly squatting in the guest house of a property in Montecito, Ca. that they used to own. Their defense? They thought they still owned it. That would surely explain why they were hanging in the guest house while some interlopers redecorated and made themselves comfortable in the main building.

In case you tuned in late, the Quaids are fresh off their court date for defrauding an innkeeper when they used an invalid credit card to try to pay for a Santa Barbara hotel. Charges from that caper were dropped against Randy, but Evi was sentenced to three years of probation. This new arrest will not please her probation officer.

Celebrities getting into altercations with the paparazzi is nothing new. Neither are altercations at the airport. So the only new thing with this type of encounter is which celebrity loses his temper with the all too aggressive paparazzi. Enter Russell Brand at the Los Angeles International Airport.

According to The Los Angeles Times, comedian Russell Brand was arrested for battery after a paparazzi incident at the airport this past Friday. The 35 year-old Brand was set to board a flight with his fiancée, Katy Perry, when Brand shoved one of the photographers that was following the celebrity couple. Katy Perry obviously took to twitter to comment about the incident, "If you cross the line and try and put a lens up my dress, my fiancé will do his job and protect me."

Did you see this one coming? Sources say that in again out again, dry again, partying again, super-starlet Lindsay Lohan failed a drug test. According to the terms of her release from jail and rehab, Lindsay must undergo random drug tests and will be returned to jail if she fails to live up to the requirements set by the court. Do not pass go, do not collect a movie paycheck.

As is so often the case, TMZ was the first to report the possible drug test debacle. The lightning-fast folks at TMZ say that the Los Angeles District Attorney has only an ambiguous statement on the test, which was reported to have been taken last week. D.A. spokesperson Sandi Gibbons informed TMZ her office has not been "officially notified" of the test results and no court date has been set yet.

And the waffle house fight continues. Robert James Ritchie, better known as Kid Rock, takes the stand over the details of a 2007 waffle house fight that led to the musician being charged with misdemeanor battery, resulting in a sentance of probation and anger management classes. Kid Rock is now testifying in the civil case against him, in which the defendant seeks $6,000 in medical bills, and an unspecified amount of damages for pain and suffering. The defendant in the case is music promoter Harlan Akins.

According to the New York Post, Kid Rock claims that he was provoked by Akins. Taking the stand in his own defense, the 39 year-old Ritchie told the Atlanta court that Akins made verbal threats of violence at him, and any physical action he my have take was in his own self defense.

Michael Jackson's famous lyric, don't stop til' you get enough seems to apply to the barrage of lawsuits that have been steadily streaming in since his June 2009 death. His mother, Katherine Jackson, has recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jackson's concert promoter alleging that AEG disregarded the singer's health and safety in the weeks and days before his death, pushing the singer beyond his limits while promoting his This is It concerts. Jackson claims that AEG was only interested in the huge profits the concert series was projected to pull in.

ABC News reports on the basis of the civil suit: "AEG's actions and inactions led to Michael Jackson's death on June 25, 2009. The purpose of the lawsuit is to prove to the world the truth about what happened to Michael Jackson, once and for all." Katherine Jackson alleges that AEG was aware of Michael's delicate condition during the days before his death but did not postpone the physical rehearsals or relax the grueling fifty-concert schedule.

A settlement has been reached in the three year-old class action lawsuit with the Screen Actors' Guild Union over actors' European royalties. The suit, which sought royalties for money made through the sale of video rentals and blank media cable transmissions in Europe, was brought by Leave it to Beaver actor, Ken Osmond.

CBC News reports that tens of thousands of actors, writers, and directors will reap the financial benefits of the multi-million dollar settlement. In addition to judicial approval, the settlement documents require an independent audit of all Screen Actors' Guild European royalties since the 1980s.

And the next American Idol (judge)... singer Jennifer Lopez. In what seems to be a revolving door of celebrity judges, American Idol announced that the actress/singer/clothing designer will be replacing Kara DioGuardi with a one-year $12 million contract. Also leaving this season is the man who started it all, Simon Cowell and comedian Ellen DeGeneres.

New York Daily News reports that Lopez is, "very excited" to serve as a judge on the hit show. Lopez will join Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson (the sole remaining original judge) on the panel that will begin auditions next week. The 41 year-old Lopez was hoping to negotiate a motion picture and TV pilot to accompany her new job, although details have not been publicized. CBS adds: "She was angling for an overall deal at Fox, including a motion picture, to keep the movie career going. But Fox said no."

What are they serving on Jet Blue? Playboy Playmate Tiffany Livingston is helping keep the budget airline in the news with her in-flight antics on a recent east coast commute. Livingston was recently detained by the FBI when her mid-flight anxiety caused her to attempt to open the plane's hatch. According to The Examiner, the twenty one year-old Livingston was on a flight from Orlando, Florida to Newark, New Jersey when panic hit.

A source close to Livingston is quoted: "She said she's gone through this before, but never this bad and she didn't have her medication." The bunny-eared beauty was taken into physical custody, and charges are pending a further investigation into the matter.

Why don't singer Beyonce Knowles's neighbors love her? Because her Los Angeles neighbor, Phillip Markowitz, claimed that Knowles "shattered his privacy" with the lights and noise from her music video shoot for the song, "Why Don't You Love Me."

According to Fox, Markowitz sought over $25,000 damages stemming from the all-day shoot. In addition to noise, Markowitz also claimed that the production crew blocked his Hollywood Hills driveway until 11 p.m. Markowitz has since dropped the claim. Although the terms of the settlement are unknown, Markowitz told media outlets that he is happy with the 5-figure settlement.

Singer Britney Spears is reportedly facing a lawsuit that can only be described as toxic. The allegations contained in a suit filed by former bodyguard Fernando Flores maintain he was sexually harassed by the singer. The suit claims Spears made repeated unwanted sexual advances toward Flores and goes on to detail the actions that the bodyguard says "humiliated and traumatized him."

How Britney's camp will do damage control on this suit is anybody's guess. The legal issues, according to People.com, range from allegations that Spears summoned Flores to her room at her house "for no other purpose or reason than to expose her naked body or near-naked body," to claims that Spears "engaged in numerous sexual acts" in front of Flores. The suit also states Spears was abusive to both him and to her children.

To slightly adjust an old saying, the seed pod doesn't fall far from the ... plant. The youngest child of Reggae legend Bob Marley has admitted to growing marijuana in the basement of her Caln, Pennsylvania home. On September 7, Makeda Jahnesta Marley plead guilty to charges of manufacture of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence.

When police were called to her home on a domestic disturbance call in September of 2008, according to the West Chester Daily Local News, Marley was arguing with her tenant Howard Stinson over whether she would let him collect his belongings before being tossed off the premises. When police first declined to intervene in a "civil" matter, Stinson conveniently turned the matter into a criminal issue by accusing Marley of growing pot in the basement.

As previously noted on FindLaw's Celebrity Justice, Jersey Shore Cast member Nicole Polizzi, better known to the western world as Snooki, was arrested for on July 30 for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, etc. As you may recall, Snooki was arrested after an afternoon of boozing and evidently annoying other people in the general vicinity of the pint-sized pop culture phenom.

Specifically, during the filming of an episode of the MTV reality hit Jersey Shore in July, Snooki became intoxicated, disorderly and was bothering other patrons. According to the New York Daily News, Snooki later said she had been drinking tequila for hours before her arrest and doesn't actually recall actually being taken into custody.

The World Wrestling Federation loves a good story line. So if professional wrestler Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart broke into a pharmacy to rescue his girlfriend from the grips of his evil mad scientist nemesis, it would have made for great television. However, sometimes real life is less interesting than reality TV. In Neidhart's case, he was arrested for burglary as well as possession and trafficking of controlled substances.

Neidhart, 55, was filling his vehicle with gasoline in Florida when he suddenly began making a scene. He was yelling and opening pill bottles in the trunk of his Pontiac Sunfire, The Tampa Tribune reports. Police soon arrived at the scene and Neidhart was aggressive towards them and appeared unstable. They allegedly witnessed him pick up pills off the ground after dropping them and then swallow them.

After police searched and arrested Neidhart, he was found in possession of Oxycontin and methadone. The pill bottles had the name of another person, Mary Cutillo. Interestingly enough, Cutillo was a friend of Neidhart's, and had recently reported a burglary at her home where her prescription medications were stolen.

Singer Lady Gaga is not so gaga over a comic biography designed after the eccentric entertainer. Gaga is threatening legal action over a series of graphic biographies designed by Bluewater Productions featuring an animated version of the "Poker Face" singer that was released in June of this year.

Lady Gaga's attorney, Kenneth Feinswog, has served the company with cease and desist letters, and is threatening legal action if the comic biographies are not pulled, according the MSN. Bluewater Productions has already made cartoon depictions of Taylor Swift, Robert Pattinson, and David Beckham. Feinswog likens the comic biographies to a bootleg album or art poster in claiming that there are intellectual property, copyright, and other legal issues surrounding the matter.

Funk Band War is at war with soft drink giant Pepsi over what they allege is the inappropriate use of their '70s hit, "Why Can't We Be Friends." The answer to that question is simple, because friends pay friends royalties for use of their song. The suit, filed in Los Angeles last week, alleges that Pepsi did not hold up their end of the friendship by failing to include the band in the negotiations, reports the Washington Post.

The song is currently playing in the Pepsi MAX campaign, advertising the company's latest no-calorie cola concoction. In a statement by Funk Band War's lawyer, the problem is simple, "Pepsi is selling its billion-dollar brand based on based on their voices and they have to pay for it." Funk Band alleges that Pepsi's failure to compensate them has cost the band $10 million dollars in damages, and the group is also seeking confiscation of unlawful profits in an amount to be determined. The band has requested a jury trial.

Only Heiress Paris Hilton would have her that's like totally "not my bag" alibi derailed by her own TwitPic of the purse. The purse that started it all, a black and gold Channel clutch, was tweeted by the heiress in mid-July with the incriminating caption, "Love my new Chanel purse I got today," according to TodayShow.com. Hilton originally claimed that the purse carrying the cocaine was borrowed from a friend.

The trendy carry-all is at the center of the Las Vegas cocaine controversy that now has Hilton facing felony possession charges. In the end, the alibi would have never worked. Law Vegas police officer Jay Rivera explains the case: "She is being charged with possession, so it doesn't matter if it is her, or someone else's. This is a common typical arrest. We don't keep track of people's purses and we don't impound people's purses when we find evidence of contraband in them" There are two things that come from that statement: first, the owner of the purse is irrelevant, possession means on a person and the cocaine was most certainly on Paris at the time of the arrest. Secondly, it sounds like Paris's purse will not be impounded, and she will get to keep her clutch.

Live Your Life was the chart topping song that put Atlanta-based rapper T.I. on the music radar last year. Unfortunately, it appears that T.I. may be living his life outside the confines of the law. T.I. and his wife, Tameka Cottle (aka, Tiny),  were arrested in West Hollywood late Wednesday night on drug charges.

The Los Angeles Times reports on the incident: "During the course of a traffic stop, deputies smelled a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. A narcotics investigation ensued, during which T.I. and his wife were found to be in possession of a controlled substance." T.I. was initially pulled over for making an illegal U-turn. Police also found ecstasy pills in the car.

They say any press is good press. A candid shot of a celebrity may be good press for the star, but it can have some serious penalties for the man behind the lens. Paparazzi beware: California is set to enact a new anti-paparazzi law. Assembly Bill 2479, currently awaiting the John Hancock of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, is aimed at curbing the reckless behavior some celebrity photographers engage in when it comes to driving and other traffic laws.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, there will be a $5,000 fine and possibly one year in jail for those photo hungry members of the press who are found to be breaking traffic laws in pursuit of the perfect picture. The anti-paparazzi law was approved by the state senate last week and will hopefully,

"curb the reckless and dangerous lengths that the paparazzi will sometimes go in order to capture the image of celebrities. Of particular concern is the practice of surrounding a celebrity or a celebrity's vehicle in a manner that does not permit an avenue of escape. This kind of behavior is especially a problem in Los Angeles, with its high concentration of stars and celebrities."

The attempted murder trial of actor Shelley Malil began this week. On Tuesday, August 31, the victim who survived an alleged stabbing by the defendant testified. Kendra Beebe told the court she was stabbed 23 times by the actor, who was her on and off boyfriend, on the evening of August 10, 2008. A friend who was visiting helped fend off the attack.

Malil, who is best known for his part in the Steve Carell film "The 40-Year-Old-Virgin," is accused of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and burglary, according to NBC San Diego. Beebe testified that Malil arrived at her house uninvited on the evening of the attack, and approached her saying her name multiple times. He leaned in and began stabbing her.