Recently in celebrity justice Category

and, of course:

A study in contrasts? Florida justice? Celebrity justice?

Donte Stallworth, a pro athlete, gets a minimum sentence for killing a man in a DUI-related incident in  Florida:

MIAMI (AP) -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth is going to serve 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in Florida to a DUI manslaughter charge.

The plea deal announced Tuesday calls for the 28-year-old Stallworth to also serve 10 years' probation and do 1,000 community service hours for killing a pedestrian he hit with his car. Stallworth had faced up to 15 years in prison.

Police say Stallworth was drinking at a hotel bar before the March 14 crash that killed 59-year-old construction worker Mario Reyes. Tests showed Stallworth's blood-alcohol content was .126.

Stallworth also reached a confidential financial settlement with the Reyes' family. A person close to the negotiations told The Association Press about the agreement on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the deal.

The criminal complaint also alleged that Andrew Thomas Gallo caused great bodily injury and death to more than one victim. In addition, he faces sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury.

Schroeder said Gallo faces 54 years and eight months to life in prison if convicted on all counts.

Gallo's attorney, Randall Longwith, entered the not guilty plea for him. Longwith later told reporters he would seek a change of venue for the upcoming trial.

"Generally the emotion here, it's so heated," Longwith said. He said he and Gallo have received death threats.

Bill Hetherman, a former SGV Tribune court reporter, stumbled across a civil case involving actress Sharon Stone. There was just one problem, court records make it appear as if the case doesn't exist.

Clearly this is anothe rexample of how celebrity in Los Angeles trumps the rights of the public and legal protocol. Alan Parachini, the court spokesman, and former ACLU flack, doesn't outright defend the secrecy, but he refused to say if other such cases were buried in court files somewhere.

Here's the story from this morning's Los Angeles Times.

And a snippet:

The case probably would have gone unnoticed into the archives had a reporter for City News Service not had a slow February day in the civil court. Bill Hetherman said that because his schedule was free, he decided to attend a relatively small-potatoes hearing -- the matter of attorneys' fees in a sex discrimination case against Costco -- in Duffy-Lewis' court. While he was waiting, the judge called another case.

"All of a sudden I heard the name Sharon Stone and paid closer attention," he said.

Hetherman said that after a whispered conversation with Jacobson's attorney at the bench, the judge set a date a month later for the hearing.

Hetherman said he tried to find information about the case in the court database and later from the attorneys and court officials, but repeatedly was told it was sealed. The reporter said the next hearing included a hushed discussion between the judge and a lawyer for the actress and then a statement on the record that suggested the case was over.

Did you catch the story about former NFL running back Travis Henry?

You might say he's the male version of Whittier's own Octomom - except he's going to be paying a steeper price for fathering nine children than Nadya Suleman will ever pay for giving birth to 14.

Henry, who played for three NFL teams including the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos was recently ordered to pay $3,000 a month for one of the kids. Additionally he fell $16,000 behind in support for another.

Clearly the child support amounts were determined by the size of Henry's final contract with the Broncos. In 2007 the team gave Henry a five-year, $25 million contract.

By the time he was cut last year, Henry had received just $6.7 million, according to the New York Times.

Because of positive drug tests and an arrest for drug trafficking, there's little chance Henry will ever play in the NFL again.

As "baby daddy" to nine children from nine separate women, Henry went to court seeking a reduction in the amount of child support he would have to pay. Some of the "baby mommas" and their attorneys say no way. They point to the shear amounts of money Henry reportedly squandered on cars, clothes and other women.

But is he any more irresponsible than Octomom?

I say no. At least Henry appears to have made some effort to support his kids. Suleman on the other hand has been relying on taxpayers to support her and the brood.

Consider the facts:

Octomom used a combination of food stamps, disability payments and student loans to provide for her first six kids;

She lived with her mother in a home that was nearing foreclosure;

Knowing this Nayda nonetheless decided to have herself implanted with six frozen embryos and brought eight fatherless children into the world on Jan. 26.

I highly doubt she had any intention of paying for these kids on her own. After all, estimates for the monthly care of Octomom's sickly brood run hundreds of thousands of dollars per month.

Where's the outraged judge in this case, threatening to lock Nadya up for having kids she can't support?

Where's the Department of Children and Family Services that intrude into the lives of so many other Angelenos?

Nowhere of course.

Does anyone think that Dr. Phil or RadarOnline, or Gloria Allred are going to stick around once the audience dries up and the ratings dwindle?

Does anyone believe for a second when these media whores say their interest is motivated solely out of compassion for the children?

I hope not. Because you can guarantee the next time Paris or Lindsay or Britney or Rhianna or some woman who has nine babies and a brood of 15 turn up, the cameras and the money will be gone.

For now, unlike a washed up former NFL running back, the Nadya freak show makes money. But eventually (like it did in Henry's case) the money's going to run out and we'll be on the hook for supporting those kids and their shiftless mother.

Let's hear it for double standards.

This comes from the Associated Press:

Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer-turned-boyfriend and a doctor surrendered to face charges that they conspired to provide the Playboy Playmate with thousands of prescription pills before her 2007 fatal overdose. A second doctor also is accused.

Howard K. Stern and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor were released late Thursday after posting $20,000 bond. Charges include conspiracy, unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance and prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict, authorities said.

For booking photos of Stern and Kapoor, go to http://whittierpd.blogspot.com.

They were booked by the Whittier Police Department, according Whittier Police Officer Jason Zuhlke.

Stern and Kapoor were booked by the Whittier Police Thursday night. They each paid $20,000 bail and were released at 9:15, Zuhlke said.

Why the pair were booked in Whittier was not immediately clear.

Dr. Khristine Eroshevich was expected to surrender Monday. Her attorney, Adam Braun, acknowledged Eroshevich wrote some of the prescriptions using fictitious names for Smith, but it wasn't intended to commit fraud.

Here's what Whittier PD posted this a.m.:

On March 12th, 2009, Sandeep Kapoor(bottom) and Howard K. Stern(top) were booked at the Whittier Police Department at 7:13pm and 8:27pm, respectively. Both men were booked on warrants on behalf of the California Attorney General's Office and released on $20,000 bail at 9:15pm. This represents the extent of the Whittier Police Department's involvement in the case and any further inquiries may be directed to the Attorney General's Office, specifically, Scott Gerber at (510) 502-3755

This from the Associated Press, covering the Phil Spector murder trial downtown. Mr. Spector has a new hair-do for the occaision:

Jury selection for music producer Phil Spector's murder retrial began Monday.

About 80 prospects reported to court Monday and an initial group of 18 has been
chosen for questioning.

Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler asked the nine men and nine women if they can be fair and impartial and follow his instructions.

Spector is charged with second-degree murder in the 2003 death of Lana Clarkson.

 

The 40-year-old actress died of a gunshot through the mouth while sitting in
the foyer of his Alhambra mansion.

Spector's first trial ended a year ago when jurors deadlocked 10-2, with the
majority favoring conviction. Spector's defense suggested Clarkson shot
herself.