Celebrities

Lawsuit says email from Eli Manning incriminates him in memorabilia case

A lawyer in an ongoing lawsuit against the New York Giants and their starting quarterback, Eli Manning, revealed an email that he says bolsters his case against Manning and the Giants for providing fraudulent memorabilia to collectors. On Thursday, the New York Post reported that a court filing by lawyers…

Apr 14, 2017 5:00 PM CDT

10 Questions: For rap and hip-hop artists, LA lawyer Julian Petty represents

As a college intern at Def Jam Records, Julian K. Petty saw firsthand how poorly artists were represented, and he vowed that someday, he’d do something about it. Fast-forward 20 years, and Petty now is a top entertainment lawyer who represents some of the biggest names in rap and hip-hop music, including Childish Gambino, A Tribe Called Quest and the estate of the Notorious B.I.G.

Apr 1, 2017 3:50 AM CDT

Judge allows one prior accuser to testify in Cosby sexual assault trial

A judge in Norristown, Pennsylvania, ruled on Friday that just one prior accuser may testify in Bill Cosby’s criminal trial for the alleged sexual assault of a former Temple University employee. Prosecutors had sought testimony from 13 women about prior “bad acts” in a bid to establish a common scheme…

Feb 24, 2017 11:12 AM CST

Cops violated rights of alleged Sandra Bullock stalker, appeals court says; gun evidence is tossed

A California appeals court has upheld a trial judge’s decision to toss evidence found when police searched the home of an alleged stalker arrested while inside Sandra Bullock’s home. The court ruled (PDF) the search wasn’t valid because the written consent by Joshua James Corbett was given after he invoked…

Feb 16, 2017 9:00 AM CST

50 Cent files complaint against Reed Smith seeking $32M for alleged mishandling of sex tape case

The rapper 50 Cent has responded to Reed Smith’s bankruptcy claim for $609,000 in unpaid fees with an adversary complaint seeking $32 million from the law firm for allegedly mishandling pretrial preparations in a sex tape lawsuit. The rapper, whose actual name is Curtis James Jackson III, is seeking to…

Feb 1, 2017 3:11 PM CST

Paul McCartney suit seeks to regain copyright interest in early songs

Paul McCartney is seeking a declaratory judgment that he is entitled to reclaim copyright interest in his early songs under termination provisions of the Copyright Act. McCartney filed the suit in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, report the New York Times, the Hollywood Reporter and the National Law Journal (sub.…

Jan 20, 2017 7:00 AM CST

IMDb seeks halt to law allowing actors to shield disclosure of their ages

The film and TV website IMDb is seeking to halt enforcement of a new California law that gives actors the power to remove information about their ages from their online profiles. IMDb filed a First Amendment challenge to the law in November, and followed up on Thursday with a motion…

Jan 6, 2017 4:28 PM CST

Lawyer who sued Gawker for Hulk Hogan now represents Melania Trump and claimed email inventor

The California lawyer who represented Hulk Hogan in his successful privacy suit against Gawker is now filing libel suits on behalf of Melania Trump and the man who claims he invented email. The latest suit filed by lawyer Charles Harder claims TechDirt libeled proclaimed email inventor Shiva Ayyadurai in articles…

Jan 6, 2017 9:47 AM CST

Lawyer will have to ID dead Twitter user sued by James Woods, judge rules

Actor James Woods will learn the name of the person who called him a “cocaine addict” in a tweet, even though the Twitter user is no longer alive. In a decision on Tuesday, a Los Angeles judge ruled that the lawyer for the deceased Twitter user will have to reveal…

Jan 4, 2017 4:28 PM CST

Judge in Cosby case tells shouting lawyers that deputies will be called if they can’t be civil

A Pennsylvania judge issued a warning on Tuesday to the prosecutor and defense lawyer in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case: If you can’t be civil, sheriff’s deputies will be called in. The lawyers’ outbursts occurred during a hearing on whether prosecutors can introduce testimony from 13 other accusers in Cosby’s…

Dec 14, 2016 9:39 AM CST

DA’s office flip flops on whether Justin Timberlake is being investigated for ballot selfie

The District Attorney’s office in Shelby County, Tennessee, says Justin Timberlake is not under criminal investigation for violating the state’s law against ballot selfies. A contrary statement by a spokesperson for the office was incorrect, according to District Attorney General Amy Weirich. “No one in our office is currently investigating…

Oct 26, 2016 10:10 AM CDT

John Lennon’s lawyer explains how musician’s deportation case changed immigration law (podcast)

When immigration attorney Leon Wildes got a call from an old law school classmate in January 1972 about representing a musician and his wife who were facing deportation, their names didn't ring a bell. Even after meeting with them privately at their New York City apartment, Wildes wasn't entirely clear about who his potential clients were. He told his wife that he'd met with a Jack Lemon and Yoko Moto. "Wait a minute, Leon," his wife Ruth said to him. "Do you mean John Lennon and Yoko Ono?"

Oct 19, 2016 8:30 AM CDT

Mistrial is denied over undisclosed text messages in civil rape case against Derrick Rose

Three undisclosed text messages sent by the plaintiff to Knicks guard Derrick Rose, the man she is suing for alleged sexual assault, won’t derail the trial. U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald of Los Angeles on Wednesday denied a motion for a mistrial, report the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press…

Oct 13, 2016 10:55 AM CDT

Former House Speaker John Boehner joins Squire Patton Boggs

Former Speaker of the House John Boehner, who led Republicans in the House of Representatives for almost nine years, has joined the law firm Squire Patton Boggs, according to a press release from that firm. Boehner, who does not have a law degree, is not joining the law firm as…

Sep 20, 2016 2:45 PM CDT

Randy Travis DWI arrest video should be released, appeals court says

A redacted dashcam video showing the drunken-driving arrest of country singer Randy Travis must be released under the Texas Public Information Act, a Texas appeals court ruled (PDF) on Thursday. The Texas 3rd Court of Appeals said the August 2012 video isn’t exempted from disclosure, the Austin American-Statesman reports. The…

Aug 18, 2016 4:25 PM CDT