Legal news
Kodak Black Asks Donald Trump to Commute His Prison Sentence
Kodak Black has sent a petition to Donald Trump asking him commute his prison sentence (via TMZ). In August of 2019, the rapper pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges in Florida. He was sentenced to 46 months in prison, and his time served has been shockingly eventful. Early on, he put a prison guard in the hospital after grabbing his testicles in a drug-addled fight. Afterwards, he was moved from a Miami correctional facility to a maximum-security Kentucky prison. Then, this past April, he pleaded guilty again, this time to gun possession charges in New York. That sentence will be served concurrently with his other charges. Last week Black sued the Federal Bureau of Prisons, alleging abuse by Kentucky prison guards — including a “gang beating” involving correctional officers “flicking”...
Bill Murray’s Lawyer Responds to Doobie Brothers, Offers Golf Shirts as Restitution
Earlier this week, The Doobie Brothers served Bill Murray with the greatest cease and desist letter you’ll ever read. In a nutshell, through their lawyer Peter T. Paterno, the yacht rockers asked Murray to either fork over the money or stop using their song “Listen to the Music” to promote his line of golf apparel. “It’s a fine song. I know you agree because you keep using it in ads for your Zero Hucks Given golf shirts,” wrote Paterno. “However, given that you haven’t paid to use it, maybe you should change the name to ‘Zero Bucks Given.’” “This is the part where I’m supposed to cite the United States Copyright Act, excoriate you for not complying with some subparagraph that I’m too lazy to look up and threaten you with eternal damnation for doing so,” continued Paterno. “But you al...
The Doobie Brothers Wrote Bill Murray the Best Cease and Desist Letter
Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers (photo by Philip Cosores) and Bill Murray (photo by Steven L. Shepard) Get ready to read the most random story of the week! Apparently Bill Murray has his own golf apparel brand (!) called William Murray Golf, and he’s been using The Doobie Brothers’ classic hit “Listen to the Music” to promote his newest product without the band’s permission. As such, the band has mailed him a letter requesting he stop or pay up — except this is a legendary comedian and actor, so the note is a whole lot funnier than what it typically would be for this sort of thing. As Stereogum notes, this saga began when Murray started running new ads promoting William Murray Golf’s latest shirt named Zero Hucks Given, a play on Huckleberry Finn, one of his favorite literary chara...
Bobby Shmurda Denied Parole, Will Remain in Prison Until 2021
Bobby Shmurda will remain in prison until 2021 after a parole board denied his request for early release, according to TMZ. The Brooklyn rapper was arrested in December 2014 on a litany of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, reckless endangerment, and drug and gun possession. New York City police accused Shmurda of being “the driving force” behind a street gang called GS9, which had been involved in a wave of shootings. Shmurda frequently rapped about drug-dealing, violence, and even murder, which police said were “almost like a real-life document of what they were doing on the street.” In 2016, on the eve of his trial, Shmurda pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree conspiracy and one count of weapons possession, and was sentenced to seven years in prison. U...
Cheer Star Jerry Harris Charged with Producing Child Pornography
Cheer star Jerry Harris has been charged with producing child pornography. In a complaint filed by federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois, Harris, 21, is accused of contacting two underage boys on social media and soliciting explicit photographs and videos. One of the boys allegedly responded to Harris’ request by sending several photos and videos. Harris is also accused of soliciting oral sex from one of the boys in a bathroom at a cheerleading event they both attended. Harris was arrested Thursday morning and is scheduled to make his first court appearance later today. Update: According to the complaint (via EW), Harris participated in a voluntary interview with investigators and admitted to asking between 10-15 underage boys — including the victim mentioned in the comp...
That ’70s Show’s Danny Masterson Appears in Court, Denies Rape Charges
Danny Masterson, former star of That ’70s Show, appeared in court Friday on charges of raping three women. According to the BBC, while the actor did not enter a plea, his lawyer, Tom Mesereau, dismissed the charges against him as “politically motivated.” The alleged assaults took place between 2001 and 2003 and involved three women between the ages of 23 and 28. If convicted as charged, Masterson faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 years to life in prison. All three accusers attended Friday’s hearing, as did about 20 of Masterson’s friends. These supporters were forced to wait outside the courtroom due to pandemic restrictions. Masterson has previously argued that he is an innocent victim being persecuted for his membership in the Church of Scientology. His la...
Eminem Says Home Intruder Admitted He Was “There To Kill Him”
A man who broke into Eminem’s Detroit home earlier this year reportedly told the rapper that he was “there to kill him.” Matthew Hughes, 27, appeared in a Michigan court on Wednesday, facing a felony charges of first-degree home invasion and malicious destruction of a building. If convicted, he could receive up to five years in prison. According to Click Detroit, security footage shown in court captured Hughes sneaking around Eminem’s home and throwing a paving stone through his back window, allowing him to gain entry inside. Eminem was awoken when his alarm system went off and he confronted Hughes in his living room. Hughes was then “detained” by Eminem’s security guards, who heard the commotion and ran inside. Officer Adam Hackstock and Detective Dan Quinn testified in court that Hu...
Joe Exotic Begs for Donald Trump to Pardon Him in 257-Page Letter
Joe Exotic stated his intention to issue a formal pardon request to Donald Trump a few months ago, and Trump said he’d be willing to “take a look” at the situation. Because there aren’t enough real issues going on in the world, it looks like the Tiger King star has now compiled a 257-page letter pleading his case and is sending it off to the White House this week. According to TMZ, Joe Exotic, aka Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, is sending a team of loyal supporters and lawyers to Washington, DC with the hope of getting the case file in front of Trump. Included among the documents is a letter from Joe to Donald Trump Jr. in which he lays out his plea for a pardon. In addition to raising health concerns stemming from his various medical issues (anemia and variable immune deficiency among th...
Meet the Inmate Who Attacked R Kelly with a Pen in Jail
The man who allegedly attacked R Kelly in jail last month has been identified as Jeremiah Shane Farmer, a member of the Latin Kings gang who was convicted last year of beating two men to death with a hammer. At the time of the attack, Kelly was sleeping in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. According to Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg, Farmer crept into the cell and began “stomping on [Kelly’s] head, repeatedly.” Farmer also allegedly had “an ink pen with him that he was going to use to stab Mr. Kelly.” Because of the attack, Greenberg is requesting that Kelly be released from jail on bail until his federal sex crimes trial begins later this year. Farmer is representing himself in a federal appeals court and he discussed the incident in court documents, according ...
Britney Spears Endorses the #FreeBritney Movement
Last month, Britney Spears asked the courts to prohibit her father from regaining conservatorship of her estate. While a judge has since determined that the current structure will remain in place until at least early 2021, the legal battles continue. According to TMZ, her lawyer’s latest filings included an article about the #FreeBritney movement, along with the note that Spears “welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans.” The pop star’s father, James “Jamie” Spears, has overseen nearly every aspect of her life since 2008, when she was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment. That continued without interruption until late 2019, when her dad temporarily stepped aside to deal with his own health issues. Having seemingly recovered, Jamie is now back to doing what...
Ron Jeremy Hit with 20 New Sexual Assault Charges, Facing 250 Years in Prison
Adult film star Ron Jeremy has been charged with 20 additional counts of sexual assault, involving 12 women and a teen girl. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on Monday. The complaint includes five counts of forcible rape and lewd conduct with a 15-year-old girl, according to NBC Los Angeles. Jeremy, 67, was initially arrested in June after being charged with raping three women and sexually assaulting another. He subsequently pleaded not guilty and was ordered to remain jailed in lieu of $6.6 million bail during a June court appearance. Jeremy will be arraigned on the new charges on Monday. If convicted as charged, Jeremy faces a possible maximum sentence of more than 250 years in prison. Jeremy is one of the most well-known male pornographic actors in the hi...
City of Los Angeles Brings Charges Against TikTok Influencers Who Threw Illegal House Parties
The Los Angeles City Attorney has brought charges against two prominent TikTok influencers, Bryce Hall (21) and Blake Gray (19). The young men threw a series of parties — including a massive birthday bash — in defiance of emergency pandemic orders. As TMZ reports, both have been slapped with one misdemeanor for violating a local ordinance. They’ve also each been issued a noise citation. The city described the charges as a “crackdown on party houses.” The biggest of the bashes took place August 14th at “Sway House”, a $50,000-a-month rental in the Hollywood Hills. It’s occupied by a small collective of hard-partying, often shirtless TikTok influencers, including Gray and Hall. The party was thrown in honor of Hall’s 21st birthday and his first legal consumption of alcohol. The resulting bac...
