Celebrities

Lawyer-turned-reality star is found dead; her boyfriend is arrested

The boyfriend of Loredana Nesci, a lawyer who starred in a reality TV series, has been arrested on suspicion of homicide after police found Nesci’s body on Wednesday at her home in Redondo Beach, California. Police arrested Robert Reagan, 51, who appeared in several episodes of the SundanceTV show, Loredana,…

Jul 23, 2015 7:23 AM CDT

Judge nixes felony case against Anna Nicole Smith boyfriend-lawyer, says it ‘reeks of unfairness’

A California judge on Wednesday dismissed two felony conspiracy charges against the boyfriend and lawyer of Anna Nicole Smith, saying that the more than six-year-old case “reeks of unfairness.” Howard K. Stern was charged in connection with Smith’s 2007 accidental overdose death because of his alleged role in supplying drugs…

Jul 22, 2015 3:00 PM CDT

Cosby lawyers blame his accuser for release of his deposition by court reporting service

Lawyers for Bill Cosby argued in a motion (PDF) on Tuesday that his accuser in a 2005 sex-abuse suit was trying to “smear” him and should have ensured that court reporters knew his deposition transcript was still confidential. The New York Times obtained the deposition transcript from a court reporting…

Jul 22, 2015 8:43 AM CDT

ABA to honor Silver Gavel Award winners, including ‘Serial’ podcast and an HBO doc on Prop 8

An HBO documentary about the fight against California’s same-sex marriage ban. A hugely popular NPR podcast that re-examined an old murder case. An uncompromising expose of America’s juvenile detention centers. A series of investigatory newspaper articles about domestic violence in South Carolina. The American Bar Association has named these four…

Jul 16, 2015 1:15 PM CDT

Whoopi Goldberg learns of statute of limitations in Cosby cases, asks TV viewers to lobby lawmakers

One of Bill Cosby’s staunchest supporters, as some two dozen women recently came forward with public accusations of long-ago rape and assault, is now backtracking. Talk-show host Whoopi Goldberg had said the famed television actor and comedian should be considered innocent until proven guilty. But after ABC News legal analyst…

Jul 14, 2015 4:30 PM CDT

Judge won’t enforce $500K bench warrant against no-show Conrad Hilton if he is at September hearing

Socialite Paris Hilton’s younger brother was a no-show Monday at his Indio, California, arraignment in a felony driving case. However, the judge agreed not to enforce a bench warrant against Conrad Hughes Hilton, 21, so long as he shows up for a rescheduled hearing in September, the Palm Desert Patch…

Jul 13, 2015 3:20 PM CDT

Judge cites Bill Cosby’s ‘pound cake’ speech in decision to unseal court documents

Corrected: Bill Cosby’s moralizing—including his famous “pound cake” speech—has spurred a judge to order release of court documents that excerpt an embarrassing deposition in which the comedian admitted securing Quaaludes with the intention of giving them to women with whom he hoped to have sex. Ruling on a motion to…

Jul 7, 2015 7:36 AM CDT

4th Circuit revives $10M ‘Somebody to Love’ suit against Justin Bieber and Usher

Singing a different tune than a trial judge, a federal appeals court on Thursday unanimously voted to revive a $10 million copyright suit brought by two songwriters against Justin Bieber and Usher. Bieber and Usher recorded “Somebody to Love” both together and separately, selling millions of copies. Their song could…

Jun 19, 2015 2:25 PM CDT

Judge cuts $2.4M ‘Cadillac Escalade’ legal fee bid by Beastie Boys, OKs $700K ‘Honda Civic’ award

Equating a bid by the Beastie Boys for reimbursement of a claimed $2.4 million in legal fees to a Cadillac Escalade, a federal judge in New York on Monday cut the award to a more reasonable “Honda Civic” version. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer awarded the iconic hip-hop group only…

Jun 16, 2015 4:30 PM CDT

What’s next for Caitlyn Jenner? Likely a trip to the DMV and a court petition

Caitlyn Jenner showed off her new look this week on the cover of Vanity Fair, but her legal transformation will require a court order. Jenner will need to get court approval for a name and gender change application, the Associated Press reports. In Los Angeles, seven or eight forms are…

Jun 5, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

Warring parties in Robin Williams estate case make progress, with mediator’s help

The widow and three adult children of actor Robin Williams are still at odds over the ownership of some of his personal belongings and the money needed to maintain his widow’s home. But, with the help of a mediator, they have resolved issues concerning a number of other items, so…

Jun 1, 2015 4:30 PM CDT

Dustin Diamond’s lawyer gets a judicial scolding on ‘shenanigans’ for car’s message

A Wisconsin judge sent a lawyer to the parking lot on Wednesday to remove a message he had scrawled on his car window supporting his TV actor client. Judge Paul Malloy of Port Washington gave lawyer Thomas Alberti five minutes to remove the message on the rear window of his…

May 28, 2015 9:35 AM CDT

Led Zeppelin denies most allegations in ‘Stairway to Heaven’ suit, but admits ‘exceptional talent’

Led Zeppelin denied liability last week in its answer to a federal copyright infringement lawsuit that challenges the authorship of the group’s iconic “Stairway to Heaven” song. But a few basic facts are undisputed, TheWrap.com reports. “Answering paragraph 11 of the first amended complaint, including the first amended complaint’s footnote…

May 26, 2015 11:15 AM CDT

10 Questions: Meet the legal force behind some of the biggest brands in the fashion industry

In fashion, it's been said that you're either in or you're out. Except when you're Douglas Hand. Then you're always in fashion. Hand, a founding principal of Hand, Baldachin & Amburgey in New York City, represents some of the hautest brands in the business, such as Rag & Bone, Public…

May 1, 2015 6:25 AM CDT

Will Floyd Mayweather post Suge Knight’s $10M bail if he wins Saturday’s fight?

Updated: Charged with murder and attempted murder after allegedly running over two men intentionally in a Compton, California, fast-food restaurant parking lot earlier this year, former rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight has been behind bars since his arrest. At one point, his bail was $25 million, since reduced to $10…

Apr 30, 2015 2:50 PM CDT