Archive for the 'Celebrity Legal News' Category

Feds Throw in the Towel in the Legal Fight Against ‘Junior’ Gotti

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Teflon must run in the genes of some mob-connected families.

Federal prosecutors have decided not to bring John A. “Junior” Gotti to court for a fifth trial on organized crime-related related charges. Gotti Jr. has been tried four other times in federal court over the last five years on similar mob charges, and all four ended with hung juries.

His father, famed Gambino crime family figurehead John Gotti Sr., was nicknamed the ‘Teflon Don’ after he also evaded several convictions after going to court on federal charges. Prosecutors, however, broke through Gotti Sr.’s nonstick surface and sent him to a federal prison in Texas after he was convicted on racketeering charges, according to CNN.

Gotti Sr. died in that Texas prison in 2002.

The U.S Attorney office’s New York City branch filed a notice on January 8 of nolle prosequi or “non prosecution.” Shortly after filing, U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel effectively dismissed the case by signing the notice, CNN reported.

No clear reason was offered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for ending their pursuit of 45-year-old Gotti Jr. in court, aside from a vague statement found in court papers filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Honig.

“In light of all the circumstances, the government has decided not to proceed with the prosecution against John A. [Junior] Gotti,” according to court papers.

These aren’t “Junior’s” first criminal charges. In 1999, he pleaded guilty to racketeering charges and spent the next five years in prison as part of a plea agreement, according to CNN. Since he was sentenced, Gotti has insisted that he has had no involvement with organized crime.

But authorities said otherwise. While still in prison, he was named in other federal cases and has been heavily monitored by authorities since his release.

In 2004, Junior faced a 42-page federal indictment that included fraud, extortion, loan sharking and kidnapping, according to a 2005 New York Times article. The kidnapping charge stems from the June 1992 attack on Guardian Angels leader Curtis Sliwa, where Sliwa was shot several times while in a taxi cab on the way to a radio broadcast.

Gotti Jr. allegedly ordered the attack on Sliwa after the activist described Gotti’s father as a “crook” and a “thug” on a radio show, the Times reported.

In 2008, a murder charge was added to the extensive indictment against Junior, according to CNN. But since 2004, four trials for the indictment all ended in mistrials because of deadlocked juries.

Attorney Ron Kuby, who represented Gotti Sr. for several trials, told CNN that the U.S. government can’t keep trying Gotti over and over.

“He has been a full time defendant for the last five years,” Kuby said. “If Gotti [Jr.] is going to go to prison, he’s going to have to commit a brand new crime.”

Who Posted Battered Rhianna Pics? LA Police Officers on Paid Leave

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Rhianna and Chris Brown - almost every American knows their story by now. Chris Brown allegedly beat his girlfriend - pop music star Rhianna - before the Grammy Awards last year.

He punched and choked the star leaving her badly injured. Then two weeks later, a photo appeared on celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.

Who leaked the information? According to the Los Angeles Times, two LA police officers are on paid leave until further investigation, but have not been convicted of any crimes at this point in time.

The two officers have been identified as Rebecca Reyes, who’s been with the LAPD for nine years, and Blanca Lopez, who worked for a different department - but the two women were roommates.

Reyes’ attorney confirmed a search warrant was delivered to her home in connection with the investigation, but he maintains her innocence and that she did nothing wrong.

He also stated that the department has not made any criminal charges or formal allegations against her.

The attorney did not say whether Reyes had taken the picture, or if she ever had it in her possession. The LAPD is continuing an investigation but will not supply any details about the case to the public.

The police department now has strict rules about taking pictures and recording video images at crime scenes.

They tightened up their rules and regulations due to quite a few leaks of celebrities this past year. Pictures of celebrity arrests were posted on celebrity gossip sites.

A new state law was passed in California making it illegal for police officers to profit by leaking confidential reports or images, the LA Times reported.

Rhianna’s attorney said he’s happy with the LAPD and their investigation of the case and believes that no victim should have to suffer the embarrassment of photographs of such an incident.

A price to pay for fame - celebrities forced to relive difficult moments of their past and present. They count on the police at least to keep their matters private, and if the police don’t always do so, then who will?

Posting Nude Photos of “Twilight’s” Ashley Greene Will Bring Lawsuits

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Yes, they are apparently out there - but if the nude photos of popular vampire series Twilight’s main star are made public, those who chose to share them will face penalties, according to Ashley Greene’s lawyer.

According to People.com, the photos, which “appear to be” of Greene, have hit the Internet and the starlet plans to take legal action against anyone who is found to have posted them.

Greene is just the most recent of a crop of young actresses who has had to deal with naked pictures or sex videos of themselves being filtered around the Web.

Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl recently denied the existence of a sex tape starring her - and a couple years ago High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens chose to make a public apology to her fans for the leak of her own nude photos.