Celebrities

Federal judge declares mistrial in Patti LaBelle case because there are no black jurors

A federal jury on Monday was about to begin hearing a civil case filed against soul singer Patti LaBelle and others over an alleged unprovoked beating of a West Point military academy cadet by her bodyguards. But then the judge overseeing the Houston case called a halt. Although he wasn’t…

Sep 16, 2014 10:45 AM CDT

ACLU to defend man jailed for posting heavy metal band’s violent song lyrics on Facebook

James Evans often posts lyrics from songs he is listening to on his Facebook page. One day last month, the lyrics were from a heavy metal song by Exodus that was inspired by the shooting massacre at Virginia Tech, Billboard reports. “Student bodies lying dead in the halls, a blood-splattered…

Sep 12, 2014 10:40 AM CDT

Oscar Pistorius is found guilty of culpable homicide

A judge in South Africa has found track star Oscar Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa announced her verdict on Friday and set the sentencing hearing to begin on Oct. 13, report the New York Times, CNN and…

Sep 12, 2014 7:03 AM CDT

Oscar Pistorius acted ‘unlawfully,’ but he isn’t guilty of premeditated murder, judge says

Updated: A judge in South Africa said Thursday that track star Oscar Pistorius acted “unlawfully” in the shooting death of his girlfriend last year, but he wasn’t guilty of premeditated murder. Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa said the charge of culpable homicide still must be considered, but she didn’t decide that…

Sep 11, 2014 7:05 AM CDT

Former Ravens player Ray Rice got no special treatment in criminal case, lawyers say

There has been widespread public criticism over seemingly light penalties initially imposed on now-former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for striking the woman who later became his wife in a casino elevator in February. But lawyers say concerns he may have gotten special treatment from prosecutors who agreed to…

Sep 9, 2014 4:30 PM CDT

Harper Lee, ABA Journal fiction prizes announced

John Grisham is a best-selling author who has seen many of his books become major Hollywood pictures. Jason Bailey is a first-time author who maintains a busy legal practice in western Colorado and only writes during his spare time. What do these two writers have in common? This year, they…

Sep 4, 2014 4:28 PM CDT

New trouble for Justin Bieber, charged in ATV accident and fight

What was supposed to be a quiet vacation for actor Justin Bieber in the Canadian community in which he grew up has resulted in new trouble for the popular singer. Bieber, 20, was released on his own recognizance after being charged in a Friday traffic accident and subsequent altercation in…

Sep 2, 2014 4:55 PM CDT

Homeless man who accepted award for Miley Cyrus is wanted by police

A homeless man who accepted an award for Miley Cyrus at the Video Music Awards on Sunday has a warrant out for his arrest for an alleged probation violation. Jesse Helt, 22, said he was accepting the award on behalf of 1.6 million runaway and homeless youths in the United…

Aug 27, 2014 5:25 PM CDT

Federal judge likens Anna Nicole Smith case to ‘Bleak House,’ says 20 years of litigation is enough

After nearly 20 years of litigation, it appears that efforts by the late Anna Nicole Smith and her estate to get millions from her late husband’s estate may be nearing a conclusion. Comparing the case to the multigenerational estate litigation described in the classic Charles Dickens novel Bleak House, a…

Aug 20, 2014 5:55 PM CDT

Ron Goldman’s mom puts unpaid OJ Simpson judgment up for auction

The mother of Ron Goldman has put her unpaid wrongful death judgment against O.J. Simpson up for auction. Sharon Rufo listed the judgment on Tuesday, report the Associated Press and CNN Money. Her son, Ron Goldman, was killed along with his friend Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994. O.J. Simpson was…

Aug 14, 2014 3:24 PM CDT

Justin Bieber settles another case, faces more anger management classes

Teen pop singer Justin Bieber has settled another case, this one reportedly involving a luxury-car drag race. The singer agreed to pay $50,000, take 12 hours of private anger management instruction and watch videos about the danger of driving under the influence. His co-defendant in the South Florida case, R&B…

Aug 13, 2014 6:35 PM CDT

Judge Judy settles suit over ads with her likeness

Judge Judy has settled her suit that contended a Connecticut personal injury lawyer used her image without her authorization. Judy Sheindlin said in a statement that she and Hartford lawyer John Haymond “reached an amicable resolution of their claims against each other,” according to the Connecticut Law Tribune and TMZ.…

Aug 12, 2014 3:12 PM CDT

Day at Saratoga race track derails planned David Cassidy plea deal in DWI case

Onetime teen heartthrob David Cassidy, perhaps best-known for his role on the 1970s Partridge Family sitcom, was set to take a plea deal Wednesday in a driving-while-intoxicated case in upstate New York. Because Cassidy lives in Florida, the Schodack Town Court had agreed to let his lawyer enter a plea…

Jul 31, 2014 5:00 PM CDT

Jesse Ventura wins $1.8M in actual-malice defamation trial over best-selling memoir

Jesse Ventura said it wasn’t about the money, but he has nonetheless won what many would consider big bucks. After five days of deliberation, a federal jury in Minnesota on Tuesday awarded $1.8 million to the former state governor in a defamation case over a best-selling memoir by a former…

Jul 29, 2014 9:10 PM CDT

Judge tells actor Alec Baldwin ‘be a good boy from now on’ as wrong-way bike-riding case fizzles out

Busted by police for allegedly riding his bicycle the wrong way on a New York City street, actor Alec Baldwin reportedly didn’t hesitate to say what he thought about the Big Apple. In addition to wrong-way bike-riding, the 30 Rock star would up being issued a summons for disorderly conduct…

Jul 24, 2014 5:11 PM CDT