Famous (And not so famous) Celebrities In Trouble Thread

[TexasStooge]

Former teen idol Leif Garrett sent to jail for failing drug tests

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Court TV/AP) — Leif Garrett has been sent to jail for 45 days after failing several drug tests while staying in a strict drug rehabilitation program, authorities said.

The 44-year-old former teen idol began the sentence March 30 after a Superior Court commissioner determined he had violated terms of his rehab program, Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said Thursday.

Garrett agreed to enter the program for violating probation in a cocaine case stemming from a 2004 arrest.

After his last progress hearing March 9, Garrett told reporters he had made improvement in fighting his addiction.

"I'm going down the right path," he said at the time.

Commissioner Melissa Widdifield scheduled his next progress hearing for May 11.

Garrett also 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.

[TexasStooge]

'Suge' Knight files for bankruptcy

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Court TV/AP) — Rap music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight staved off receivership for Death Row Records by seeking bankruptcy protection for himself and the record company Tuesday, claiming debts of more than $100 million in each filing. Knight also avoided a criminal contempt citation.

The bankruptcy filings were reported to a judge during a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on Knight's debts.

At issue is an unpaid judgment against Knight for $107 million that was awarded to Lydia Harris, a former Knight associate who claimed she helped start the rap record empire with her former husband, Michael Harris.

Lydia Harris' attorney, Rex Beaber, sought the contempt citation on grounds that Knight had failed to appear at court-ordered debtor hearings, but Judge Ronald Sohigian said there were no grounds for such a finding because Knight had never been served with a notice to appear.

Knight, whose Death Row artists in the 1990s included Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur, was not present.

The bankruptcy filings thwarted an effort to put Death Row Records into receivership, in which a court appointee would have held the business in trust pending resolution of the claim.

Sohigian had previously ordered receivership but stayed implementation pending Tuesday's hearing. But the filings in federal bankruptcy court halted any state-court actions involving receivership.

Knight's attorney, Laurence Strick, said his client will continue to operate the company while the bankruptcy matter goes forward in federal court.

Strick said his client was attempting to reorganize his financial affairs.

"Mr. Knight doesn't have $107 million," Strick said. "It remains to be seen what becomes of Death Row."

Strick said Knight was "optimistic" and "focused."

"He's doing great. He's remarkable in his ability to handle stress," he said.

Knight was convicted of assault in 1992 and placed on probation, then jailed for five years in 1996 for violating that probation. He was returned to jail in 2003 for again violating parole, this time by punching a parking attendant at a Hollywood nightclub. He was released the next year.

In the current case, Michael Harris, an imprisoned drug dealer serving a 28-year sentence at San Quentin Prison, is claiming half of the $107 million as community property in his divorce from Lydia Harris.

Michael Harris also claims he put up $1.5 million from behind bars to help start the record label, a contention that Knight has repeatedly denied.

Beaber said the bankruptcy move by Knight was not a surprise.

"Bankruptcy is by its nature the last and final stop in these games of delay," he said.

Both Death Row Records Inc. and Knight filed for protection under Chapter 11 of federal bankruptcy law.

Knight signed Death Row's filing as president of the label. It estimated assets of $1 million to $10 million and debts of more than $100 million.

Knight's personal filing estimated assets of zero to $50,000 and debts of more than $100 million.

[TexasStooge]

Screenwriter's suit alleges George Clooney plagiarized 'Syriana' script

PARIS, France (Court TV/AP) — A French screenwriter who alleges that "Syriana" was largely plagiarized from her script has filed a lawsuit against George Clooney and Warner Bros.

Stephanie Vergniault claims the complex global thriller borrowed "very largely" from a script she completed in 2002. Titled "Oversight," her story line involved CIA intrigues with oil companies in the Persian Gulf, according to the court filing.

A preliminary hearing is set for Monday.

Warner Bros. France said this week it had no immediate comment.

The lawsuit targets Clooney's production company, Section Eight, which he formed with director Steven Soderbergh; Warner Bros.; and "Syriana" writer-director Stephen Gaghan.

Clooney received a best-supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of a veteran CIA officer in the film.

[TexasStooge]

Rocker Pete Doherty misses court appearance for rehab progress check

LONDON, England (AP) — Pete Doherty failed to appear at a London court Wednesday for a review of his progress in drug rehabilitation.

Doherty's representatives told Thames Magistrates' Court that he had been unable to return from Paris, where his group, Babyshambles, had played a concert Tuesday night.

The case was adjourned until May 12.

Doherty, 27, was sentenced in February to 12 months of community service and ordered to submit to regular drug tests after pleading guilty to drug offenses.

He faces an April 20 appearance in the same court on separate drug charges. Doherty pleaded guilty last month to seven charges of possessing drugs including heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana.

His drug problems gained international attention after a newspaper published photos of then-girlfriend Kate Moss allegedly using cocaine at a music studio where Doherty and Babyshambles were recording.

[TexasStooge]

Original 'Village People' cop returns to court on drug-related charges

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (AP) — The original policeman from the disco hitmakers the Village People is in trouble with the law — again.

Victor Edward Willis, 54, was back in court Monday in San Mateo County where a judge decided there's enough evidence for him to face trial on drug-related charges.

Willis, who's being held without bail in the Redwood City jail, has three cases pending against him, according to prosecutor Morly Pitt.

The first involves two felony charges, a probation violation and possession of cocaine, to which he's pleaded no contest, Pitt said. Sentencing on those charges is pending.

In the second, Willis pleaded no contest to cocaine possession and being a felon in possession of a gun. He was facing a maximum 16 months in state prison, but he failed to show up twice for a sentencing hearing last December.

Then, Willis was stopped again by police on March 26, for what began as a traffic violation, Pitt said. He and passenger Stacy Brandt, 40, were arrested. Brandt pleaded no contest to possession of narcotics and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years' probation.

Willis was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and providing false information to police for using a fake name. He has not entered a plea in that case and he's due back in court next Tuesday when the cases will be consolidated. He will return to court again April 25 "when a judge will figure out what we're going to do with Mr. Willis," Pitt said.

A call to Willis' lawyer wasn't immediately returned.

[TexasStooge]

Clothing company sues Jessica Simpson for $100 million for breach of contract

NEW YORK (AP) — A California-based clothing manufacturer is suing Jessica Simpson for $100 million, claiming she breached their contract by failing to support lines of apparel she developed with the company.

Tarrant Apparel Group (TAG) of Los Angeles says in court papers that an agreement it signed in December 2004 with Jessica Simpson Brand Management LLC lets it use Simpson's name to make, sell, market and distribute women's sportswear.

TAG's court papers say that same three-year agreement, which has a two-year renewal option, requires that "Ms. Simpson shall be actively involved in promoting (TAG's) products, whether requested or not" by the company.

The singer also must "publicly wear/display or use the products, particularly at events, shows and appearances," say papers filed last week in Manhattan's state Supreme Court. The clothing brands are Jessica Simpson, Princy, and JS by Jessica. A fourth brand, scheduled for market in January 2007 is Sweet Kisses.

TAG says it has already paid Simpson $2.2 million with another $1.6 million guaranteed as a sales royalty for 2004 and 2005 and an additional $4.4 million guaranteed for the remainder of the contract.

The company accuses Simpson of breaching the multimillion-dollar deal by failing to wear or be photographed in the duds and has even named another brand of blue jeans as her favorites.

Simpson's lawyer, Jed Ferdinand, said: "She denies it. It's absolutely untrue. That's what the evidence will show, and she will vigorously fight the lawsuit."

Ferdinand and TAG's lawyer, Jack Gordon, said the parties had tried to resolve the dispute but negotiations failed.

"We are saddened that relations deteriorated to the point where litigation became necessary," Gordon said. "The fact is that celebrity branded apparel requires the support of the celebrity."

Simpson, 25, and her husband, singer Nick Lachey, 32, announced their separation on Nov. 23, saying they had decided to part ways after three years of marriage -- and months of rumors, denials and salacious magazine covers.

Simpson's 2004 album, "In This Skin," went platinum, and she released a Christmas album last year.

[TexasStooge]

New Lyrics, Same Old Song for K-Fed

By Natalie Finn / E! Online News

Call it "America's Most Hated: The Remix."

Kevin Federline's latest single, "America's Most Hated," is back on the aspiring hip-hop star's MySpace site now that he has replaced a possibly pilfered hook with some new lyrics. But even though K-Fed erased the original song from the page when the controversy arose, he might not be able to erase the situation quite so easily.

The track that took shape a few weeks ago purportedly sampled Mobb Deep's song "Got It Twisted," which had borrowed from synth-pop star Thomas Dolby's 1983 hit, "She Blinded Me with Science." So, by the transitive property or, whatever, Federline apparently used Dolby's riff.

But according to Dolby, Federline never asked to use the '83 tune, whereas Mobb Deep went through certain legal channels and got a license to rip. Once Dolby got wind of K-Fed's new single, he went public with his reaction, saying he never would have licensed his music for Federline's "vitriolic rap" and calling K-Fed's star lesser than Vanilla Ice's.

Cold.

(Vanilla Ice happened to come up because he borrowed the bassline for "Ice Ice Baby"--give or take a note--from David Bowie and Queen's "Under Pressure," sans permission. And he got sued. The matter was settled out of court and to this day we never know who's going to start singing--Bowie or Vanilla Ice--when we hear that familiar riff on the radio.)

Last week Dolby told MTV News that he would be consulting legal counsel over the matter, and it seems that's exactly what he did.

"It's not over," Dolby said in a phone interview Thursday with E! Online. "But I've been advised not to talk about it. You should know more in a few weeks."

So it sounds as if Federline could be getting more in the way of a reprimand than just complaints from a bunch of ticked-off Dolby fans. Reps for Mr. Britney could not be reached for comment Thursday.

But at least Federline is rockin' some new creative content that could be fodder for his upcoming album, Playing with Fire, which he announced would set turntables a-burning in August--even though he doesn't have a record contract yet.

As for the revamped version of "America's Most Hated," some of the replacement lyrics go like this:

"You're gonna need a big arm, if you're coming for me, K. Federline, I hit like a tsunami."

We're not sure about blind, but that may be the way to become deaf from science.

Meanwhile, Dolby kicked off his first tour in 15 years this week at the House of Blues in Anaheim. He'll end up at the O2 Wireless Festival June 25 in London's Hyde Park.

[TexasStooge]

Snoop Dogg arrested after airport brawl

LONDON, England (AP) -- Snoop Dogg and five other men were arrested after a fracas at Heathrow Airport that injured seven police officers, British media reported Thursday.

The Press Association news agency said members of the 34-year-old rapper's entourage hurled bottles of whiskey and argued with staff at a duty-free shop after being refused entry to a first-class lounge.

London's Metropolitan Police said officers responded Wednesday to "reports of a disturbance involving 30 people in a business lounge" at Terminal 1 of the busy airport.

When police told the group they wouldn't be allowed to board their flight, "a number of the group became abusive and pushed officers," a spokeswoman said on the force's customary condition of anonymity.

Six men were arrested on charges of violent disorder and affray and spent the night at London police stations. Police did not name the men, but said all were U.S. citizens in their 30s.

Seven officers received cuts, bruises and other minor injuries, the force said.

Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, had been due to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday.

A former member of Los Angeles gang the Crips, Snoop Dogg built his early career on recordings offering gritty details of gang life.

[TexasStooge]

'Sopranos' actor seeks separate trial in slaying of police officer

NEW YORK (AP) — "Sopranos" actor Lillo Brancato Jr., who is charged with murder in the killing of a police officer, asked a judge Thursday for a separate trial from a co-defendant who he expects to testify in his defense. Brancato's lawyer, Mel Sachs, said co-defendant Steven Armento could testify that Brancato did not know that Armento had a gun at the time of the Dec. 10 shooting.

Prosecutors agree that Armento was the shooter, but Brancato also is charged with murder because both men were allegedly in the midst of a burglary at a Bronx apartment when off-duty officer Daniel Enchautegui was killed.

Prosecutors say the defendants told police that they had been together at a strip club before breaking into an apartment in search of prescription drugs. Enchautegui, who lived next door, confronted them in an alley and was mortally wounded during a shootout.

Brancato "has an absolute defense as a matter of law to the murder charge," Sachs said after a hearing. "He did not know that Armento had a gun."

Armento, 48, shook his head "no" when Sachs suggested to state Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett that the co-defendant would testify for Brancato.

Sachs also requested that some of Brancato's statements to police in the days immediately after the killing be kept out of any trial. He said because Brancato had been shot twice by Enchautegui before the officer died, his client was in no shape in the hospital to be making statements to police.

The judge did not immediately rule on the attorney's requests. The case was adjourned until July 11.

Brancato, who did not speak, appeared somber in the courtroom, which was jammed with relatives of the accused and the victim, as well as a large contingent of police officers.

Brancato made his debut starring opposite Robert De Niro in "A Bronx Tale" in 1993 and went on to appear in more than a dozen movies. He also had a recurring role in "The Sopranos" as an aspiring mobster.

Armento allegedly was a low-level Genovese crime family associate with a drug problem and a rap sheet dating to 1979. Brancato befriended him after dating his daughter.

Brancato's life went into a tailspin last year, with a pair of drug-related arrests and a disorderly conduct incident just two days before the shooting.

[TexasStooge]

98 Degrees singer Jeff Timmons arrested on charges of drunk driving

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Timmons of '90s boy band 98 Degrees has been arrested on charges of drunken driving and driving without a valid license, Brevard County sheriff's officials said.

Authorities pulled over Timmons' white Mercedes on April 23 when they spotted him driving 60 mph in a 45-mph zone, according to a report.

Timmons, 33, said he was from out of town and didn't have his driver's license, the report said. Authorities said Timmons' eyes were "very glassy" and he told police he had "a lot" to drink. Later, he told deputies he only had two beers.

The two passengers in the car "were very intoxicated," according to the police report. One passenger identified himself as Mitch English, host of the syndicated TV show "The Daily Buzz." English told police Timmons was driving his car for him because he had too much to drink, the report said.

Timmons was arrested and held on a $500 bond, which he posted the same day, Brevard County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Andrew Walters said Wednesday. Timmons listed his address in California on the arrest report.

Timmons and English didn't return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday. It was not clear whether Timmons had a lawyer.

[TexasStooge]

Snoop Dogg accepts police warning over brawl

LONDON, England (AP) -- Snoop Dogg has accepted responsibility for using "threatening words or behavior" in a brawl last month at Heathrow airport.

The 34-year-old rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, appeared at Heathrow police station and "accepted a caution for a Section Four Public Order Act matter, using threatening words or behavior," police said Thursday.

A caution means a person has accepted responsibility for the offense, and a record will be made. No further action will be taken, police said.

Snoop and five other men were arrested on charges of violent disorder and starting a brawl, and spent the night in jail after trouble flared when some members of the rapper's party were denied entry to British Airways' first-class lounge.

Seven officers received minor injuries -- mainly cuts and bruises -- and one suffered a fracture to the hand.

Five others arrested in the disturbance were expected to appear at the police station later in the day.

British Airways has banned Snoop from future travel on the airline, it said last month.

[TexasStooge]

'Lost' actress Rodriguez sentenced again

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) - Actress Michelle Rodriguez, who served five days in jail in Hawaii last month for drunk driving, must serve 60 days for violating her probation with that arrest, a spokesman for the city attorney said Monday.

Judge Rex Hesseman also sentenced the former star of television's "Lost" to 30 days of community service with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, stints with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim impact panel and the city's hospital and morgue program, said spokesman Frank Mateljan. She must also attend an alcohol education program.

The 27-year-old actress is scheduled to begin her jail term on May 31, Mateljan said.

A message left with her attorney, Henry Holmes, was not immediately returned.

Rodriguez was arrested in Hawaii last December on the drunken driving charge. She pleaded guilty last month.

The Honolulu arrest violated the three-year probation term the actress was given in 2004 after pleading no contest to charges of hit-and-run, driving on a suspended license and driving under the influence of alcohol, Mateljan said.

Her probation on those charges has now been extended until June 2009.

Rodriguez's "Lost" character, Ana Lucia, was killed off in an episode broadcast earlier this month. The show's producers have said that plot twist had nothing to do with her arrests.

[TexasStooge]

Ludacris denies infringing song

NEW YORK (AP) - Best-selling rapper Ludacris testified Thursday at a copyright infringement trial that he never heard an expression that he allegedly swiped to create his 2003 hit "Stand Up."

Ludacris, whose real name is Chris Bridges, also said he never received copies of a disk containing the song "Straight Like That" by the East Orange, N.J., group I.O.F. The group is suing him in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

When lawyer Mel Sachs asked the rap star if he was really telling the jury he had never received copies of the song at three shows in 2002 and 2003, Ludacris replied, "I'm definitely saying that, sir."

Sachs called Ludacris as a witness after two days in which the attorney tried to prove that members of the New Jersey group had made sure to get him copies of their song before he wrote "Stand Up."

As soon as he took the stand, Ludacris denied ever hearing the expression "straight like that," much less the entire song.

Sachs asked: "Sir, before you wrote the song, 'Stand Up,' did you ever hear the term, 'straight like that?'"

"No sir," the singer responded. "I never heard anyone use the term."

Later, he added, "I do not know what the term 'straight like that' means, sir."

Ludacris co-wrote "Stand Up" with Kanye West, who was in court Thursday and expected to testify before the one-week trial ends.

Ludacris has been praised for his music and his acting roles as Anthony in the Oscar-winning "Crash" and as Skinny Black in "Hustle and Flow."

West has won six Grammy Awards for his two multiplatinum albums, "The College Dropout" and "Late Registration."

A lawyer for the rappers and EMI April Music Inc., Christine Lepera, has asked the jury to reject the claims of BMS Entertainment/Heat Music LLC.

At issue in the trial are the words "like that," which Sachs said were repeated more than 80 times in each song. Ludacris testified that he believes the words are repeated fewer than 80 times in his song.

"Straight Like That" never made it beyond some air time on college radio after copies of it were released in September 2001. "Stand Up" was released in the fall of 2003 on Ludacris' album "Chicken and Beer," and became a huge hit.

The trial will determine liability. If liability is found, a second phase of the trial will assess damages.

[TexasStooge]

Woody Allen loses fight over editing of 6 movies for planes, TV

NEW YORK (Court TV/AP) — Woody Allen, in another legal fight with two former friends and producers he accused of cheating him out of $12 million, has lost a skirmish over what versions of six of his movies will be shown on television and in airplanes.

State Supreme Court Justice Bernard Fried ruled that terms of a settlement of a lawsuit Allen filed against Jean Doumanian, his former producer and friend of 30 years, allow her to develop the television and in-flight versions of "Bullets over Broadway," "Mighty Aphrodite," "Everyone Says I Love You," "Deconstructing Harry," "Celebrity" and "Sweet and Lowdown."

The fight over the modified versions stems from the 2001 lawsuit Allen filed against Doumanian, Jacqui Safra, her personal and professional partner, and their production company, Sweetland Films.

Allen, 70, alleged that Doumanian and Safra refused to give him an earnings report for eight films, including the six currently in dispute, and had cheated him out of as much as $12 million.

After a nine-day trial in 2002, the parties settled the lawsuit without revealing the terms of their agreement.

But the judge's decision, made public Thursday, said one settlement provision says that if the parties disagree over how to edit Allen's films to meet television standards the matter would be submitted to Manhattan's state Supreme Court for resolution.

They sent the matter to the court in 2004 after Allen objected to Doumanian's cuts and her decision to replace words rather than bleeping them out. But the judge agreed with Doumanian, who had argued that television networks generally did not accept Allen's approach.

Allen's lawyer, Michael Zweig, said the filmmaker had not decided whether to appeal.

"We now respectfully disagree with Judge Fried's decision and believe that, in any case, any future effort by the producers to modify the films will not, in the long run, prove attractive or commercially viable," Zweig said.

Doumanian's lawyer, Stephen Hayes, referred calls to publicist Dan Klores, who was not immediately available for comment.

[TexasStooge]

Ludacris, Kanye West deny infringing song by New Jersey artists

NEW YORK (Court TV/AP) — Kanye West gave a lesson in hip-hop to federal judge Thursday as he testified at a copyright infringement trial that a 2003 tune he worked on was nothing like a not-so-successful New Jersey group's song.

During West's testimony, U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel asked him to say the first two lines of "Stand Up." West created the beat and opening two lines of the song, and Ludacris finished it.

West hesitated but finally blurted out a line laced with a harsh profanity that struck the judge as out of place in the dignified Manhattan courtroom.

"I'm sorry I asked," the blushing judge said with a chuckle as nearly everyone in the courtroom, including the jurors, laughed out loud. "I think I'm going to withdraw my question."

West, who has won six Grammy Awards for his two multiplatinum albums, "The College Dropout" and "Late Registration," told the court that it was not unusual that "Stand Up" and "Straight Like That" by the East Orange, N.J., group I.O.F. would both repeatedly use the words "like that."

"There's a lot of rap songs that say, 'like that,' 'yo, what's up?' or 'throw your hands high,"' he said. "Whatever people say in the 'hood, it ends up on records. That's what hip-hop does."

Earlier in the day, Ludacris, whose real name is Chris Bridges, testified that he had never heard the expression "straight like that" or the song by that title until he was sued. He said he had used "like that" in a 1999 song.

"I never heard anyone use the term," Ludacris told lawyer Mel Sachs.

Sachs said the words "like that" were repeated more than 80 times in each song. Ludacris testified that he believes the words are repeated fewer than 80 times in his song.

Ludacris has been praised for his music and his acting roles as Anthony in the Oscar-winning "Crash" and as Skinny Black in "Hustle and Flow."

A lawyer for the rappers and EMI April Music Inc., Christine Lepera, has asked the jury to reject the claims of BMS Entertainment/Heat Music LLC. The trial is to determine liability. If liability is found, a second phase of the trial will assess damages.

"Straight Like That" never made it beyond some air time on college radio after copies of it were released in September 2001. "Stand Up" was released in the fall of 2003 on Ludacris' album "Chicken and Beer," and became a huge hit.

[TexasStooge]

Howard Stern, CBS settle contract suit

NEW YORK (Court TV/AP) — Lawyers on both sides of the CBS Corp. and Howard Stern breach of contract lawsuit said Wednesday they have settled.

A clerk in the courtroom of Judicial Hearing Officer Ira Gammerman said lawyers for the parties called around 3:15 p.m. to announce that they had an agreement. The clerk said that as far as she knew they did not divulge details.

CBS sued Stern in February, claiming that its former star radio shock jock breached his contract with the broadcast giant when he moved to Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.

The lawsuit, which also named Sirius, said Stern improperly used CBS radio's air time to promote his new satellite show, which began in January. CBS also said Stern made plans with Sirius without disclosing them to CBS as his contract required.

A woman in the office of Stern's lawyer, Peter Parcher, confirmed that the sides had agreed to a settlement, but she said the agreement had not been signed yet. She said Parcher was not available to comment.

CBS lawyer Irving Nathan did not immediately return a call for comment.

Stern moved his popular and bawdy morning show to satellite radio in a five-year, $500 million deal after years of railing against decency restrictions imposed on regular radio by the Federal Communications Commission.

[TexasStooge]

Maid sues supermodel Naomi Campbell in lawsuit claiming assault, discrimination

NEW YORK (Court TV/AP) — Naomi Campbell is being accused of less-than-model behavior again: Another of her maids claims the supermodel hit her.

In a terse filing in a state court in Manhattan on Monday, Gaby Gibson accuses Campbell of injuries, employment discrimination, "civil assault, civil battery" and other wrongs.

Gibson sued on the eve of a scheduled Manhattan Criminal Court appearance by Campbell on charges of assaulting another maid. The damages she seeks are not specified in the lawsuit.

The court document offers no details, but in a published interview in April, Gibson said the model hit her Jan. 17, called her names and threatened to have her arrested. Gibson told the New York Post that Campbell got upset when she couldn't find a specific pair of jeans.

Gibson's lawyer, Thomas D. Shanahan, did not immediately return calls for comment. Neither Campbell's lawyer nor her publicist responded immediately to requests for comment.

Campbell's court hearing Tuesday deals with a similar charge and a similar situation, in which the supermodel couldn't find a pair of jeans.

In that incident, Campbell is accused of hitting Ana Scolavino in the back of the head with a cell phone in the model's Manhattan apartment. Scolavino says Campbell accused her of stealing the jeans.

Campbell, 35, faces up to seven years in prison and deportation if convicted.

Campbell pleaded guilty in Toronto to assault for beating an assistant while making a film in Canada in 1998.

[TexasStooge]

Singer Boy George will do community service at Department of Sanitation

NEW YORK (Court TV/AP) — Boy George, garbage man. The one-time Culture Club singer will do five days of court-ordered community service as an employee of the Department of Sanitation, a spokesman for the city agency confirmed Tuesday.

"He will be part of our team," said sanitation spokesman Keith Mellis. "We won't know exactly what he will be doing for several weeks, though."

The singer born George O'Dowd, who has struggled with drug problems for years, was ordered to do community service after pleading guilty in March to false reporting of an incident. He called police with a bogus report of a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment last October, and the responding officers found cocaine inside.

O'Dowd, 45, became an '80s icon with his androgynous appearance and vocals on hits like "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara threatened the singer with jail time if he failed to complete his five days with "New York's Strongest" before Aug. 28.

[TexasStooge]

Authorities: 'Sopranos' actor John Ventimiglia strikes deal for driving while impaired

NEW YORK (Court TV/AP) — The actor who plays temperamental chef Artie Bucco on "The Sopranos" avoided jail time for driving while impaired in a plea bargain deal, authorities said.

John Ventimiglia, 42, who portrays Tony Soprano's high school buddy on the HBO show, will visit 30 schools to caution against drinking and driving under the agreement announced Monday in a Brooklyn courtroom.

Ventimiglia will also lose his license for 90 days and pay a $500 fine, among other conditions.

He was arraigned May 1 on drunken driving, drug possession and other charges after officers spotted him weaving in and out of traffic. The plea to driving while impaired settled all the charges against him.

A criminal complaint alleged that when police pulled him over, the actor had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol.

Ventimiglia's blood-alcohol content was 0.12 -- the legal limit is 0.08 -- and he was carrying a zip-lock bag with cocaine residue, according to the complaint.

[TexasStooge]

Talk-show host Rush Limbaugh must wait to see if he violated deal with prosecutors

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Court TV/AP) — Rush Limbaugh will likely have to wait several days to find out if he violated his deal with prosecutors in a prescription fraud case when authorities found him in possession of a bottle of Viagra that was apparently prescribed to someone else, a spokesman for the state attorney's office said Tuesday.

Limbaugh, 55, was detained for more than three hours Monday at Palm Beach International Airport after he returned on his private plane from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. Customs officials found Viagra in his bag, but his name wasn't on the prescription, Palm Beach County sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said.

Limbaugh's lawyer, Roy Black, said the prescription was written in his doctor's name "for privacy purposes." The conservative radio host was released without being charged and investigators confiscated the Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction.

Limbaugh joked about the search on his radio show Tuesday, saying Customs officials didn't believe him when he said he got the pills at the Clinton Library and he was told they were blue M&Ms. He later added, chuckling: "I had a great time in the Dominican Republic. Wish I could tell you about it."

It is generally not illegal under Florida law for a physician to prescribe medication in a third party's name if all parties are aware and the doctor documents it correctly, said Mike Edmondson, a spokesman for the state attorney in Palm Beach County. He would not discuss specifics in the Limbaugh case Tuesday.

The sheriff's office was continuing its investigation and would turn the case over to prosecutors in several days, Edmondson said. The alleged violation could be a second-degree misdemeanor if Limbaugh's doctor doesn't confirm the prescription.

Under last month's deal with prosecutors, authorities will dismiss a "doctor shopping" charge if Limbaugh doesn't get arrested for 18 months, among other terms. Prosecutors had said he illegally deceived multiple doctors to get overlapping painkiller prescriptions. Limbaugh denied the charges but admitted he was addicted to painkillers.

This latest case may simply be dismissed if prosecutors can confirm with Limbaugh's doctor that the prescription was indeed for Limbaugh, said Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. attorney in Florida.

"It's perhaps a little embarrassing but not highly incriminating," Coffey said.

In addition, possession of Viagra is in a "completely different universe than a matter that would involve Schedule Two (controlled) substances such as OxyContin" Coffey added.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Viagra is not considered a controlled substance because "it's not something you can be addicted to," said DEA Investigator Maria Gilbert.

The Food and Drug Administration oversees regulations concerning non-addictive drugs that are not considered controlled substances, Gilbert said. A telephone call to the FDA was not immediately returned Tuesday.