Famous (And not so famous) Celebrities In Trouble Thread

[TexasStooge]

One-time teen idol Leif Garrett pleads not guilty to heroin possession

By Lisa Sweetingham / Court TV

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Withered and shaky after spending four nights in jail, actor and musician Leif Garrett entered a plea of not guilty to a heroin possession charge Wednesday and was then whisked into another courtroom to face a probation violation hearing for a separate drug-related offense.

"I would strongly, strongly suggest that you avail yourself of the drug court program," Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Melissa Widdifield told Garrett. "It strikes me that it's something that you need at this point."

Garrett, 44, declined the offer until he had an opportunity to speak with his attorney, Andrew Flier, who was at trial on another case Wednesday.

Widdifield ordered Garrett to return to her courtroom Friday with an answer, allowing him time to confer with his attorney. He remains in custody without bail.

"We want to get him in a program, get him help and get him off his addiction," said attorney David Feinstein, who stepped in for Flier at both of Garrett's hearings Wednesday.

Thanks to a 2000 California law known as "Prop 36," which mandates drug treatment rather than prison for nonviolent drug offenders for up to three offenses, Garrett had been able to avoid prison until Saturday's arrest, which marked his third alleged drug-related offense in recent years.

Garrett faces a maximum of three years in prison for the new heroin charge and potentially more prison time on his probation violation if he declines Widdifield's offer to enroll in a separate drug treatment program offered through the drug court.

In an unrelated case, another former child star, actor Brad Renfro, was also arraigned Wednesday morning and pleaded not guilty to heroin possession charges.

Renfro, who is currently enrolled in a full-time rehab program, was one of 14 people nabbed in December during a daylong drug sting conducted by undercover officers in an alley just blocks from where Garrett was picked up.

Garrett was arrested Saturday at 6 p.m. after police detained him for evading the fare in the downtown Pershing Square subway station.

Transit officers found that Garrett had no ticket, appeared to be under the influence of drugs and had a bench warrant out for his arrest.

The warrant stemmed from his March 2005 guilty plea to attempted possession of cocaine-based narcotics. At that time, he entered a drug diversion program. But after he failed to appear at a Dec. 20 progress report hearing, the warrant was issued.

Dressed in an orange prison uniform, with his hands shackled at the waist, Garrett thanked Widdifield and quickly glanced into the gallery where his mother watched the bailiff usher him back to jail.

"This is a dreadful sickness and it should be treated as such and jail does not help anyone's child," Garrett's mother Carolyn Stellar told Courttv.com. "It is the most destructive thing to watch your son, or your child, in that state. My son will become the wonderful beautiful man again that he was."

Stellar had not seen her son since his arrest and said she was steeling herself for his appearance.

With his scruffy facial hair, receding hairline and thin limbs, Garrett was hardly recognizable as the 1970s teen idol and the would-be rock star who was romantically linked to "Desperate Housewives" star Nicolette Sheridan more than 20 years ago.

The radiant teen pop singer with the blonde feathered mane was a favorite poster boy among the Tiger Beat set and had recurring roles in such '70s TV series as "CHiPs," "Wonder Woman," and "Family."

Garrett's TV appearances in recent years tended toward reality shows such as "elimiDATE," "Hollywood Squares" and "Star Dates."

In 1979, Garrett was the driver in a car crash that left his passenger and friend paralyzed.

In 1999, he pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession and was ordered into rehab after being arrested in a sting at a downtown apartment building.

"We'd like to see this judge give him another chance," Feinstein told Courttv.com, "and not have the Robert Downey Jr. situation — the way those guys seem to spiral."

[TexasStooge]

Ex-'SNL' star pleads not guilty to DUI

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) - Former "Saturday Night Live" star Tracy Morgan is heading to court after pleading not guilty to drunk driving charges, prosecutors said Thursday.

Morgan pleaded not guilty Jan. 13 to two misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of alcohol after being arrested in Los Angeles on Dec. 2, city attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan said. He is due in Superior Court for a pretrial hearing Feb. 23.

His attorney, Blair Berk, declined to comment.

The 37-year-old comic, who has starred in various films and TV shows, is known for "Saturday Night Live" characters Astronaut Jones and Brian Fellow.

[TexasStooge]

Rapper Cassidy convicted of involuntary manslaughter in musician's death

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (Court TV/AP) — Baby-faced rapper Cassidy was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault Tuesday in what prosecutors called the planned ambush of a man who had argued with the musician.

The 23-year-old Cassidy (real name: Barry Reese) was grossly negligent for supplying the guns that killed Desmond Hawkins and wounded two of his companions, Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan said at the end of a two-day non-jury trial.

Greenspan sentenced Cassidy to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison. He has been in custody since his arrest in June, meaning he could be out of jail within a few months.

"You could be a leader in the community," Greenspan said. "All those guns — that's why Desmond is gone now, because of all those guns."

Police said that four different guns, including an assault rifle, were involved in the April 15 ambush in an alley behind Cassidy's house. Cassidy and his associates had stashed the guns around the alley in expectation of a shootout, prosecutors said.

Witnesses testified that Hawkins, 22, had gone to Cassidy's home to act as a peacemaker after Hawkins and his friends got in an argument with Cassidy and his friends.

"It's a tragic situation for me too," Cassidy told the judge. "I didn't set up for this to happen. Desmond Hawkins was my friend ... one of my closest friends."

Cassidy's debut CD, "Split Personality," peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart and featured the top 10 single "Hotel" featuring R. Kelly. Full Surface/J Records released the follow-up album "I'm a Hustla" on June 28.

Cassidy was convicted of one count of involuntary manslaughter, a misdemeanor; two counts of aggravated assault, both felonies; and possession of an instrument of crime.

Hawkins' companions, Bobby Hoyle and Daniel Irvin, were wounded in the shootout.

[TexasStooge]

Kate Moss interviewed by London detectives about her alleged cocaine use

LONDON, England (AP) — Kate Moss was interviewed by detectives in London about her alleged cocaine use.

The Metropolitan Police doesn't identify suspects being interviewed by name, but said Tuesday that a 32-year-old woman "has voluntarily attended a London police office in relation to a Met investigation into allegations of possible drug abuse, as reported in newspaper reports."

Moss' modeling agency, Storm, didn't immediately return a request for comment.

Stuart Higgins, a spokesman for Moss, has said that she had agreed to be interviewed by police.

Police said she had not been arrested.

The 32-year-old supermodel lost valuable contracts with H&M, Burberry and Chanel after the Daily Mirror tabloid in September published pictures of her allegedly using cocaine in a west London music studio where her then-boyfriend, rock musician Pete Doherty, was recording with his group Babyshambles.

Moss has been out of Britain since the drug allegations broke, visiting a rehab clinic in Arizona and working on international assignments.

[TexasStooge]

Film director Tamahori arrested on sex charge

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Reuters) - New Zealand-born director Lee Tamahori, whose films include the James Bond hit "Die Another Day," has been arrested on a sex charge while wearing a woman's dress and a wig, officials said on Friday.

Tamahori, 55, was arrested January 8 in a police sting operation and charged with prostitution and loitering in a public place, City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said.

The filmmaker is accused of offering to perform oral sex on an undercover police officer in exchange for money.

Tamahori had been set to be arraigned on Thursday, but the hearing was postponed until February 24. If convicted of the misdemeanour charges, he faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine (570 pounds), Mateljan said.

Tamahori gained notice for directing the 1994 drama "Once Were Warriors," a film set in New Zealand about a family of native Maori whose lives have been plagued by alcohol, drugs and violence. Tamahori's father is Maori.

He followed that film with the 1950s crime drama "Mulholland Falls" and thriller "The Edge," starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin.

Tamahori went on to make a splash with 2002's "Die Another Day," which starred Pierce Brosnan as British secret agent 007 and Halle Berry as an American agent named Jinx. The movie raked in more than $430 million worldwide.

But his action film "XXX: State of the Union," starring rapper Ice Cube bombed at the box office last year.

Media reports said he was being represented by famed Los Angeles defence attorney Mark Geragos, who has worked for pop singer Michael Jackson and actress Winona Ryder.

Geragos and his associates were not immediately available to confirm those reports.

[TexasStooge]

Police investigate allegation that Joe Pesci punched fan in parking lot

BOCA RATON, Florida (AP) — Police have confirmed that Oscar-winning actor Joe Pesci is being investigated after a fan said the star punched him in the mouth because he snapped a photo of him in a shopping center parking lot.

The "Goodfellas" star gave his account of the January 22 incident last week at a Boca Raton home where he was staying, police spokesman Sgt. Jeff Kelly said. Garry Serino, who was with Pesci at the time, also gave police a statement.

Kelly did not provide details because of the investigation.

"There are two sides to every story," Kelly said.

Police were preparing to send the investigation results to the Palm Beach County prosecutors to determine whether Pesci should be charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly punching Juan Carlos Montenegro, 24.

Montenegro, a Broward Community College student, told police that after encountering Pesci, 62, he shook the actor's hand and told him he was a big fan. He then purchased a camera, walked toward Pesci and asked for a picture, but the actor refused, he said.

Montenegro kept asking to take a picture, and when Pesci turned, Montenegro took the photograph. Pesci then punched him with his right fist, the report said.

If Pesci is charged, he would be issued a court summons, and would not be booked into the county jail, said Mike Edmondson, state attorney's office spokesman.

Pesci's attorney, Jay Julien, did not return a call for comment.

[TexasStooge]

Courtney Love appears in court as part of progress report for probation violation

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) — Courtney Love told a judge that she has put her drug problems behind her and that she has a new outlook on life.

Love, 41, appeared in court Friday as part of a progress report after violating probation in three criminal cases. Judge Rand Rubin had sentenced Love to 180 days at a drug treatment center, but she was released to an outpatient program in November.

Rubin ended the outpatient requirement but ordered her to return to court May 12.

"You're doing really, really well," Rubin said. "We're all pleased with your progress."

Love, the former leader the band Hole and the wife of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, admitted in August that she had violated her probation in three cases, including two drug-related charges.

But Love said she has improved over the past several months.

"I feel like I'm getting my creativity back ... and that I've put a very gnarly drug problem behind me," Love said in court. "I want the court and the community to know I feel great."

[TexasStooge]

Paris Hilton ordered to stay away from man

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Reuters) - Hotel heiress Paris Hilton was ordered Tuesday to stay away from a Los Angeles party planner who claimed she called him a "lazy Mexican" and bombarded him with threatening phone calls.

Promoter Brian Quintana, who says he introduced Hilton to her current boyfriend Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos, won a restraining order in Los Angeles Superior Court against the socialite known for her "The Simple Life" TV reality show and for an Internet sex video made with a former boyfriend.

Quintana said Hilton began a smear campaign against him after she started dating Niarchos, accusing him of trying to get Niarchos to ditch her for his former girlfriend, Mary-Kate Olsen.

Quintana said Hilton shoved him three times, that he lost clients after they received phone calls from Hilton warning them not to do business with him and that she made numerous phone calls threatening his life.

Details of the stay-away order have yet to be determined.

Hilton was not in court and did not testify. Her spokesman, Elliot Mintz, told reporters, "I've known Paris and worked with her, and the kind of person that was described on the stand this afternoon doesn't resemble the woman that I know."

[TexasStooge]

John Michael Montgomery arrested on DUI charge

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – John Michael Montgomery was arrested early Thursday and charged with driving under the influence and possession of a controlled drug, jail officials said.

The 41-year-old country singer also was charged with having a prescription drug not in its proper container, two counts of carrying a concealed deadly weapon, disregarding a traffic control device and improper turning, said Darin Kelly, a spokesman for the Lexington jail.

Kelly said the police report listed the controlled substance as Endocet, which is a painkiller.

Montgomery was arrested after being pulled over at an intersection of in the south end of town and was later released from custody several hours later, Kelly said.

The singer's publicist, Erin Morris of Morris Public Relations in Nashville, Tenn., said Montgomery didn't have any immediate comment.

Montgomery, a Kentucky native, had several No. 1 hits in the 1990s including "I Love the Way You Love Me," "I Swear" and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)."

[TexasStooge]

George Michael arrested on drug changes

LONDON, England (AP) -- George Michael was arrested in London on drug charges after being found slumped at the wheel of his car, a British tabloid newspaper reported.

A passer-by contacted police after spotting the 42-year-old pop star in his car in central London on Saturday night, the Sun newspaper reported in Monday's editions.

Michael was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs before being bailed out to return to a police station next month, The Sun said. The report said he was checked by paramedics but did not need hospital treatment.

A spokesman for London's Metropolitan police, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity, would not confirm if Michael had been arrested, but did say a 42-year-old man had been arrested on drug charges after being found at the wheel of a car.

"We were called by a member of the public to a man seen slumped over the steering wheel of a car. ... Police attended and spoke to the man, aged 42. A search of the man revealed what was believed to be controlled substances. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of controlled substances of category C and on suspicion of being unfit to drive."

A woman who answered the telephone at an agency that represents Michael said it would have no comment. The woman refused to give her name.

Michael rose to fame as half of 1980s British pop duo Wham! He was arrested in 1998 for lewd conduct at a public restroom in Beverly Hills, Calif. Soon after, he said publicly for the first time that he's gay.

[TexasStooge]

Master P faces trial on gun charges

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) - A day after appearing on the "Dancing With the Stars" finale, Master P headed to court Monday where a judge ordered the hip-hop mogul and his younger brother to stand trial on weapons charges.

Master P, 38, whose real name is Percy Miller, and his brother Vyshonn Miller, 30, also a rapper who uses the stage name Silkk The Shocker, were arrested last month for carrying unregistered guns.

University of California at Los Angeles police spotted the weapons during a traffic stop. Prosecutors said the officers found a semiautomatic handgun under the seat of Master P, who was the passenger, and a revolver under the seat of his brother, who was driving.

Each was charged with one felony count of carrying an unregistered, loaded firearm. They face up to three years in state prison if convicted, prosecutors said.

Both are free on bail and are scheduled to return to court March 13 for arraignment.

Master P, founder and CEO of No Limit Records, paired with professional dancer Ashly DelGrosso for "Dancing With the Stars" after his teen rapper son, Lil' Romeo, dropped out of the ABC reality competition because of a basketball injury. He was rejected after the fourth show, but returned for a last dance Sunday.

In recent years, Master P has tried out for different NBA teams, including the Sacramento Kings and the Denver Nuggets. He also starred with his son on the Nickelodeon TV show "Romeo!"

[TexasStooge]

Just when we thought Gary Glitter couldn't get into enough trouble already.
_____________________________________________________________

Trial for British rocker Gary Glitter begins

VUNG TAU, Vietnam (AP) – The trial of former British rocker Gary Glitter opened Thursday on charges that he molested two underaged Vietnamese girls at a seaside rental home in southern Vietnam.

The former glam rocker has been accused of kissing, fondling and committing other obscene acts with a 10-year-old and an 11-year-old at his residence in the southern port city of Vung Tau last year. He has denied the allegations.

Glitter, 61, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, wore black pants, shirt and cap as police escorted him through a scrum of reporters Thursday morning into the yellow concrete courthouse in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.

Glitter held up two fingers in a victory sign and said only one word: "Innocent."

The trial is closed to the public but the verdict will be read publicly on Friday. He faces three to seven years in prison if convicted.

The former rocker has said he was teaching the girls English at his home and considered them "like his grandchildren."

Glitter, who hit his musical peak in the 1970s, had hits with "Leader of the Gang" and "Do You Wanna Touch" but is perhaps best known for his crowd-pleasing rock anthem "Rock and Roll (Part 2)," which is still played at sporting events.

His fall from grace began with a conviction in Britain in 1999 for possessing child pornography. He served half of a four-month jail term. He later went to Cambodia and in 2002 was expelled from that country, but Cambodian officials did not specify any crime or file charges.

[TexasStooge]

Rocker Gary Glitter convicted on molestation charges

Court sentences him to three years

VUNG TAU, Vietnam (AP) – A Vietnamese court Friday sentenced former British rocker Gary Glitter to three years in prison for obscene acts with two young Vietnamese girls, and a melee erupted in the courtroom when Glitter shouted "I'm innocent" after the verdict.

Reporters and onlookers, allowed into the courthouse in southern Ba Ria-Vung province to hear the verdict following the closed two-day trial, pressed toward Glitter in a scene of pandemonium as police fended them off and escorted him out of the building.

"I haven't done anything. I'm innocent. It's a conspiracy by you know who," Glitter shouted, apparently referring to British tabloid newspapers that had tracked down his presence in Vietnam.

Glitter, 61, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, was convicted of committing obscene acts with two girls, ages 10 and 11, at his rented seaside villa in southern Vung Tau last year. He was then sentenced to three years in prison, followed by deportation from Vietnam.

The court, in its verdict, cited graphic testimony from the girls that Glitter had fondled and molested them and took showers with them naked in his rented home and in nearby hotels.

"Caring for children is to care for our future ... but Gary Glitter's acts went against this," said Judge Hoang Thanh Tung. "He sexually abused and committed obscene acts with children many times in a disgusting and sick manner."

Glitter has 15 days to appeal his sentence. His attorney, Le Thanh Kinh, said Glitter would be eligible for parole in a year, after he serves one-third of his time.

The former glam rocker, a 1970s pop icon in Britain famed for his sequined jumpsuits, platform heels and bouffant wigs, sported a more conservative look for his trial: black clothes and a red bandanna on his head.

Glitter, who looked visibly thinner since his arrest, has been held at Phuoc Co prison outside Vung Tau since November.

He has been in police custody since Nov. 19, when he was caught at the Ho Chi Minh City airport trying to board a flight for Bangkok. Police confiscated his laptop, which police say had hundreds of pornographic pictures on it.

Glitter, who hit his musical peak in the 1970s, had hits with "Leader of the Gang" and "Do You Wanna Touch" but is perhaps best known for his crowd-pleasing rock anthem "Rock and Roll (Parts 1&2)," which is still played at sporting events.

His fall from grace began with a conviction in Britain in 1999 for possessing child pornography. He served half of a four-month jail term.

He later went to Cambodia and in 2002 was expelled from that country, but Cambodian officials did not specify any crime or file charges.

[TexasStooge]

Boy George to revisit rehab in plea bargain

NEW YORK (AP) – Boy George, in a plea bargain deal that spared him possible jail time, agreed Wednesday to enter a drug rehabilitation program and perform community service to resolve his arrest last year on a cocaine charge.

The former pop star, whose real name is George O'Dowd, entered his guilty plea to third-degree false reporting of an incident in Manhattan Criminal Court. He only spoke to answer questions from Judge Anthony Ferrara with a simple "yes."

Under the deal, O'Dowd will enter a drug program in England and perform five days of community service in Manhattan. He will pay a $1,000 fine and must avoid arrest on any charges over the next six months.

"I am relieved and happy that this case has been disposed of, and would like to thank the judge, the district attorney and my attorney, Lou Freeman, for the fair and speedy way it was dealt with," O'Dowd, 44, said in a statement distributed to reporters by his manager. "I love New York, and am looking forward to coming back and working in the states later this year."

It was signed, "George."

He must return to court June 9 with written proof of his stay in a rehabilitation program. O'Dowd had a previous drug history, including a 1986 heroin possession arrest after two of his friends overdosed. O'Dowd entered a rehab program at that point.

His drug woes reportedly led to the collapse of the Culture Club, which scored the hit singles "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"

O'Dowd will leave New York, most likely on Wednesday night, to head back to England and the Clouds rehabilitation facility, said his manager, Jeremy Pearce.

He was arrested Oct. 7, 2005, after he called 911 to report an alleged burglary in his Manhattan apartment. Officers found a small pile of cocaine next to a computer.

O'Dowd was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. He could have received up to a year in prison on the false reporting charge.

[TexasStooge]

Former teen idol Leif Garrett ordered to stay in drug rehab

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) — Leif Garrett was ordered to remain in a strict live-in drug rehabilitation program for another month, despite telling a judge he was "going down the right path" after spending 42 days there.

The 44-year-old former teen idol asked a Superior Court commissioner Thursday for permission to return to an outpatient treatment program so he could be with his mother, who is suffering from an undisclosed illness.

Garrett, who has appeared in some three dozen films, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s, and has released 10 music albums, agreed to enter the program for violating probation in a cocaine case stemming from a 2004 arrest.

He faces felony heroin possession charges after officers who stopped him Jan. 14 for allegedly trying to ride a Los Angeles subway train without a ticket said they found suspected narcotics. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.

Standing outside the courthouse with his mother and his attorney, Garrett blamed his recent drug arrest on his concerns for his mother's poor health.

"I'm going down the right path," he said. "Instead of a dirt road, I've been on a paved road."

He also vowed to never appear again in an orange jail suit mug shot: "I don't look good in orange," he said.

His next court appearance is scheduled for April 6.

[TexasStooge]

David Hasselhoff's estranged wife claims domestic violence

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Less than a month after filing for divorce, the estranged wife of David Hasselhoff has filed for a court order on a claim of domestic violence by the former "Baywatch" star, according to court records.

Actress Pamela Bach, 42, made the filing Mondayclai against Hasselhoff, 53, in Los Angeles Superior Court, summary records on the court's Web site show.

At a private hearing, Bach also asked for a temporary restraining order against the actor, but a judge denied the request, instead instructing the two to stay away from each other.

"The court indicated that she should stay where she is, and he should stay where he is," Hasselhoff's attorney, Melvin Goldsman said by phone Wednesday, declining to comment on the allegations.

Documents pertaining to the hearing have been sealed by the court to protect the pair's two teenage daughters and their privacy, Goldsman said.

Bach was granted custody of one daughter while Hasselhoff was given custody of the other, publicist Judy Katz said Wednesday.

Hasselhoff filed for divorce January 12, citing irreconcilable differences after 16 years of marriage. Bach filed her own divorce papers a day later, also citing irreconcilable differences.

Messages left Wednesday at the office of Bach's attorney were not immediately returned.

Hasselhoff played lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in "Baywatch" from 1989 to 2000. He also starred in the 1980s TV series "Knight Rider," in which his character, Michael Knight, teamed with a talking Pontiac Trans Am sports car to fight crime.

Bach appeared in the soap opera "The Young and the Restless" and in numerous episodes of "Baywatch" and "Knight Rider."

[TexasStooge]

Judge orders 'Suge' Knight to appear at court hearing

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) — A judge ordered Marion "Suge" Knight to appear at a hearing next month to discuss his assets -- or risk having the court take control of the rap-music mogul's Death Row Records.

Knight has been in a legal battle since he lost a $107 million judgment last year to a woman who claimed she helped start the record empire.

Attorneys for Lydia Harris and her ex-husband, an imprisoned drug dealer who is seeking half of the award as part of their divorce, urged the judge Thursday to place Knight's company in receivership.

Michael Harris' attorneys accused Knight of trying to evade his legal obligations by failing to show up for debtor examinations three times. He was absent from Thursday's hearing.

"Enough is enough," said attorney Steve Goldberg. "It is time for a receiver and an order for contempt. There are rules of court that should be obeyed and Mr. Knight is making a mockery of it."

Attorney Rex Beaber, who represents Lydia Harris, accused Knight of shifting his assets.

Knight's lawyer, Dermot Givens, asked Judge Ronald Sohigian for a postponement because Knight was hiring a new team of lawyers, but the judge refused.

The judge also enjoined Knight from transferring or hiding any assets.

Givens promised Knight would appear at the April 1 hearing, and pledged his client would not hide any assets.

Last December, a judge in Monterey County froze Knight's assets, saying Knight and his lawyers had failed to answer questions and provide information in the case.

Michael Harris, who is serving a 28-year sentence at San Quentin State Prison, claims he put up $1.5 million from behind bars to help start the record label. Knight has repeatedly denied that.

[TexasStooge]

Pete Doherty pleads guilty to seven drug charges, lashes out at reporters

LONDON, England (AP) — Moments after pleading guilty to seven drug charges Thursday, Pete Doherty lashed out at reporters covering his court appearance and kicked one in the arm.

Trudi Barber, a reporter for the British Broadcasting Corp.'s Radio One station, was kicked amid scenes of what she described as "total chaos."

The 26-year-old Babyshambles singer was more than an hour late for his appearance at Thames Magistrates' Court in central London. He had to battle through a crush of reporters and photographers to get inside.

He then pleaded guilty to seven charges of possessing drugs including heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana, which police said they found when he was stopped once in December and once in January.

Doherty, the former boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss, is already under court supervision for drug charges. In early February, a judge imposed a 12-month community service order and required Doherty to submit to regular drug tests.

His lawyer, Sean Curran, asked Judge Jane McIvor to put off the matter off for six months so they could see how Doherty progressed.

"I would not like the court to impose anything that would go against the grain," Curran said. "He is a very talented man. Unfortunately, every move he makes has been in the spotlight."

McIvor ordered Doherty to return to court April 20, "which will mean we will know the results of his next review on April 12." She warned that all options remained open for sentencing.

It was when Doherty left the court — wearing his trademark trilby hat and a gray suit — that he allegedly kicked Barber in the elbow and knocked her microphone on the ground.

"It was total chaos here outside the court both when he arrived and when he left," Barber said on Radio One.

"Afterwards he leapt over the railings outside the court," she said. "All of a sudden he lashed out, kicking me in the arm that was holding the microphone."

Doherty then ran down the street pursued by nearly two dozen members of the media. He jumped over the trunk of a Jaguar sedan and into the driver's seat, nearly colliding with another car when he tried to pull out into the street.

[TexasStooge]

Ex-Village People singer faces jail sentence

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Reuters) - The singer who dressed as a policeman in the flamboyant late 1970s disco band "Village People" has been arrested after disappearing while drug and gun charges against him were pending, officials said on Monday.

Victor Willis, who co-wrote some of the band's hits such as "In the Navy" and "YMCA" has had a number of run-ins with the law since he left the group in 1980 and now faces as much as five years in prison, said Morley Pitt, assistant district attorney in San Mateo County south of San Francisco.

"It's just sad that his life has spiralled down to the point where in all likelihood he's going to go to prison," Pitt, who said he enjoys the song "YMCA", told Reuters. "You never like to see anybody go to prison, let alone somebody who is 54 years old."

Willis was arrested last year on charges of possessing a gun and cocaine, but he disappeared after agreeing to a plea deal that set a maximum sentence of 16 months behind bars, Pitt said.

He was re-arrested on Sunday and the singer is due in court on Tuesday.

Because he went missing, the San Francisco-area resident now faces as much as four years, four months in prison on those charges, as well as an additional eight months on possible new narcotics charges, Pitt said.

Easily remembered for their outlandish costumes including a construction worker, a policeman, a cowboy and a leather-clad biker, the Village People were one of the best known bands of the disco era. Their song "YMCA" is also a favourite gay anthem.
_____________________________________________________________

It's dumb to stay in the J-A-I-L...

[TexasStooge]

Naomi Campbell charged over fight with housekeeper

NEW YORK (AP) -- It looks like Naomi Campbell's temper may have gotten her into trouble again.

Police in New York have charged the model with second-degree assault for allegedly cracking her housekeeper in the head with a phone during an argument. Police say the housekeeper received four stitches to the head.

Campbell's spokesman denies the model was responsible for any assault. He's calling it a "case of retaliation," saying Campbell had fired her housekeeper early today.

This wouldn't be the first time Campbell's temper has gotten her in hot water.

In 2003, she was sued by a former assistant for allegedly throwing a phone at her. And in 1998, Campbell pleaded guilty to an assault charge on another assistant.