Celebrities

Prince drops $22M copyright infringement suit

Tonight, 22 alleged bootleggers are going to party like it’s 1999. That’s because Prince has dropped his $22 million lawsuit accusing them of illegally recording his concerts and then posting them online. According to TMZ, Prince decided to end the litigation a mere two weeks after filing his complaint in…

Jan 29, 2014 10:10 PM CST

George Zimmerman appears to be taking a default in divorce filing

Claiming that George Zimmerman has not responded to a divorce petition filed last year, his estranged wife Shellie Zimmerman on Tuesday asked a Florida court to grant a default motion against him. A former Neighborhood Watch volunteer who in 2013 was acquitted of murdering Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman dodged process servicers…

Jan 29, 2014 9:11 PM CST

Grand jury will investigate 1983 death of pro wrestler’s girlfriend

A Pennsylvania grand jury will investigate a 30-year-old cold case involving the death of former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka’s girlfriend. According to the Allentown Morning Call, Lehigh County district attorney Jim Martin announced on Tuesday that he had empaneled a grand jury to look into the 1983…

Jan 29, 2014 7:21 PM CST

Inmates punished with bread-and-water diet for desecrating US flags in cells

Inmates in one Arizona county’s jails have been placed on a bread-and-water diet for desecrating the U.S. flags that hang in their cells, authorities said. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said 38 inmates at six county jails are currently on such a diet for destroying government property, Reuters reports. “It’s…

Jan 28, 2014 12:00 PM CST

Former Va. governor rejected plea bargain that would have spared his wife, WaPo reports

Former Va. Gov. Robert F. “Bob” McDonnell reportedly rejected a plea offer by federal prosecutors that would have spared his wife, Maureen, from prosecution. McDonnell was offered an opportunity to plead guilty to one felony fraud charge that had nothing to do with the corruption charges he and his wife…

Jan 27, 2014 10:14 PM CST

Defense verdict for Courtney Love in ‘Twibel’ case brought by her former lawyer

Courtney Love. Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com A California jury spent three hours deliberating before rendering a defense verdict Friday in a libel lawsuit brought against Courtney Love by her former legal counsel. Lawyers for the plaintiff, attorney Rhonda Holmes of San Diego, has sought $8 million in damages in the…

Jan 27, 2014 4:50 PM CST

Judge Judy is behind a new courtroom TV show, ‘Hot Bench’

The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considered a “hot bench,” whose judges don’t hesitate to jump in and fire tough questions at lawyers appearing before the court in oral arguments. And that’s even more true of the U.S. Supreme Court, said Circuit Judge Frank Easterbrook in a…

Jan 23, 2014 11:09 PM CST

Justin Bieber and R&B singer arrested after alleged luxury-car drag race in Miami Beach

Unconfirmed reports that Justin Bieber had been spotted at nightclubs in South Florida earlier this week apparently may have been correct. The 19-year-old pop star was arrested early Thursday, along with R&B singer Khalil Amir Sharieff, also 19, and charged with drag-racing and driving under the influence. Police say Bieber…

Jan 23, 2014 6:35 PM CST

Courtney Love testifies at first US ‘Twibel’ trial, sued by her ex-lawyer over critical tweet

Three years ago, Courtney Love paid $430,000 to settle a fashion designer’s lawsuit over a series of insulting tweets made by the singer and actress in the heat of a dispute over a $4,000 bill. Now the rock singer and actress is at trial in a California defamation suit brought…

Jan 16, 2014 8:25 PM CST

Two courts reject appeals in Michael Jackson death cases; insurance suit over $17M policy is settled

Litigation related to the death of pop singer Michael Jackson appears to be nearing a conclusion after the settlement of an insurance coverage case over a $17.5 million policy and a unanimous California appellate court ruling upholding the involuntary manslaughter conviction of his personal physician. Both were announced in court…

Jan 16, 2014 12:20 AM CST

Former lawyer for deceased stage actress Julie Harris sues to invalidate her will

Fired in 2009 by award-winning stage actress Julie Harris, her former lawyer and onetime potential executor, Herbert Nass, has filed an objection to her will in a Massachusetts probate court. He claims in the Barnstable Probate and Family Court filing that Harris, who died in August at age 87, “was…

Jan 14, 2014 11:55 PM CST

Justin Bieber’s $6.5M home is searched for evidence in possible felony egg-throwing case

The $6.5 million home of teen pop singer Justin Bieber was searched Tuesday by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies investigating an incident last week in which he is accused of damaging a neighbor’s home in Calabasas, Calif., by throwing eggs at it. Executing a search warrant today, the officers are…

Jan 14, 2014 7:00 PM CST

‘Octomom’ charged with welfare fraud

A California woman famous for being the mother of octuplets is facing a felony welfare fraud case, accused of failing to report $30,000 in income last year from personal appearances and residual payments for videos. “Octomom” Natalie Denise “Nadya” Suleman, 38, was charged by the Los Angeles district attorney’s office…

Jan 13, 2014 9:05 PM CST

Night nurse for reclusive heiress seeks piece of $300 million estate

Nurse Geraldine Coffey was paid $130,000 a year to take care of reclusive copper heiress Huguette Clark every night for 20 years. She also received more than $1 million in gifts from Clark prior to her death in 2011. But Coffey, who was left out of Clark’s will, is now…

Jan 10, 2014 9:00 PM CST

Petition calls for prosecutor to drop charges against bullied transgendered teen

A California prosecutor is taking a lot of heat for his decision to charge a bullied transgendered teen with battery. Jewlyes Gutierrez, 16, was charged with battery after a fight with classmates in November at Hercules High School in Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa Times reports. Gutierrez, who says…

Jan 10, 2014 7:30 PM CST