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For criminal defendants found not guilty in California, the law just changed to make public defenders services free of charge. So long as a person is not convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, a court cannot order that individual to reimburse the public defender’s office. Before the change, a person who utilized the services of a public defender could be ordered to pay for those services regardless of the outcome. The old law required many low income, homeless, and other disadvantaged individuals to pay for a public defender even if they were falsely arrested....

“American Idol” contestant Jermaine Jones is set to be kicked off the show tonight, after producers learned Jones failed to disclose details about his violent criminal record, gossip website TMZ reports. Jones, 25, of Pine Hill, N.J., confirmed via Twitter that he’s being booted from “Idol”: “Awww I will no longer b on the show,” he said, according to USA Today. Jones’ Twitter account has already been deleted. Jones, a 6-foot-8-inch tall soulful singer known as the “Gentle Giant,” was kicked off the show a few weeks ago, only to be brought back into the competition....

Mr. Clucky, a Miami Beach rooster and his poultry guardian, Mark Buckley, are caught in a fowl-smelling court battle. You see, this is no ordinary matter: it’s a ‘chick-evict’ case. Legal feathers are flying in this code enforcement fight brought by the City of Miami Beach. The City wants Mr. Clucky out of Buckley’s residential apartment, charging that he violates a city ordinance that prohibits poultry . Yesterday’s proceeding ended in a dispute over witness testimony – or rather the lack of it....

Kanye West is claiming he acted in self defense when he allegedly assaulted a paparazzo at Los Angeles International Airport. Daniel Ramos, the paparazzo who is alleging assault, battery, and interference with his civil rights, filed a lawsuit against the rapper over the incident and is being represented by famed civil rights attorney Gloria Allred. So what does Kanye need to prove under a self defense theory? In California, like most other states, you may claim self-defense if you:...

Kim Kardashian may have never used meth, but you wouldn’t know it from her face on one Tennessee sheriff’s website. According to TMZ, the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office hosted a number of “before” and “after” photos to give visitors the impression of what meth can do to an otherwise vivacious visage. Turns out, the Sheriff’s Office accidentally hosted a picture of Kim K alongside her heavily photoshopped “after” photo, giving us all a glimpse into Kim’s face after a three month meth binge....

A Maryland appeals court has declared pit bulls “inherently dangerous,” MSNBC reports. The new ruling imposes strict liability onto Maryland owners whose pit bulls attack people. The decision makes it easier for victims to sue and recover against pit bull owners. The original case started when a 4-year-old Prince George’s County boy was viciously mauled by a pit bull. The court’s opinion applies to both pure and cross-bred pit bulls....

Drivers should check their vehicle’s tire pressure and tread-wear, especially during hot weather months, according to a Public Service Announcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “Checking tires is particularly critical during the summer when roads are hot and families are putting a lot of miles on their cars with their vacation plans,” says NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason. View the NHTSA Public Service Announcement NHTSA Press Release Tire Safety: Everything Rides On It (NHTSA) [PDF file] Safety Search: Vehicles, Tires, and Equipment (FindLaw) Motor Vehicle Accidents (FindLaw) You Don’t Have To Solve This on Your Own – Get a Lawyer’s Help Civil Rights Block on Trump’s Asylum Ban Upheld by Supreme Court...

An arrest warrant is out for Ric Flair, the man considered by many to be the greatest (and most bedazzled) pro wrestler of all time. Apparently, however, he’s not the greatest at paying spousal support. A judge in Charlotte, North Carolina, issued the arrest order for the former professional wrestler after he allegedly failed to pay his estranged wife more than $32,000, the Charlotte Observer reports. Flair, whose real name is Richard Fliehr, was ordered to pay $4,000 a month to Jacqueline Beems after she filed for legal separation last summer....

As more and more people come forward to tell their stories as victims of sexual assault inside the entertainment industry, Hollywood is trying to figure out how to react when one of their own is accused of anything from harassment to rape. While these stories and this problem are not new to the industry, victims have found new courage and solidarity in the wake of the Harvey Weistein scandal and the #MeToo movement....

In what some are calling a landmark decision, the EEOC has ruled that Title VII protects transgender workers from on-the-job discrimination. In part, the order states that “intentional discrimination against a transgender individual because that person is transgender is, by definition, ‘based on … sex’ and such discrimination … violates” the law. Though certainly notable, the EEOC’s transgender ruling is not the first of its kind. The courts, which have the final say as to the statute’s interpretation, have been protecting transgendered individuals from discrimination for the last decade....

As we have explained here before: Facebook threats can get you arrested; Twitter threats can get you arrested; and even one-word text threats can get you arrested. So as teens abandon these modes of communication in favor of the image messaging app Snapchat, it’s probably a good idea to let them know that yes, Snapchat threats can get your arrested. Modesto, California police arrested two California high school students after they posted a video on Snapchat, aimed at a black classmate, complete with noose, the words “You must die motherf***er,” and an image of a gun being fired at the viewer....

A family from the suburbs of Chicago has been arrested and charged with operating a $7 million shoplifting ring over the last decade. Branko Bogdanov, 58, along with his wife Lela, 52, and daughter Julia, 34, ran a system of stealing baby toys, baby supplies, and household items from retail stores and selling them on eBay, Reuters reports. So what’s in store for the family of alleged bandits? The trio from Northbrook, Illinois, allegedly stole items such as American Girl dolls, Furby toys, Lego blocks, baby monitors, and steak knives from a variety of retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Dillard’s, and Toys"R"Us over the last decade, Reuters reports....

In a video that’s gone viral, so-called “First Amendment cop” Stan Lenic lays down the (constitutional) law as protesters and airport officials argue over the right to hand out fliers. The video shows a protester handing out fliers to passengers at the Albany International Airport in New York. She warns them of the health risks of going through full-body scanners and reminds them of their right to opt out, reports Albany’s WNYT-TV....

Millions of holiday travelers are on the move, but not everyone is packing their patience. That’s especially true for those antsy travelers whose airport antics end up getting them arrested. With more than 3 million Americans traveling by plane this Thanksgiving, according to AAA, it’s a good time to review what types of behavior aren’t going to fly when you’re dealing with the TSA. Not following the rules can ruin your holiday plans....

If you have been arrested for public urination, it’s possible that you could be charged with a sex offense. Perhaps this will serve as more incentive to empty your bladder at the bar or restaurant before taking off. Some may see public urination as a relatively harmless and victimless crime. After all, when you gotta go, you gotta go. But in some cases, you could be charged with a sex offense and – similar to pedophiles and child rapists – be forced to register as a sex offender....

Chris Brown’s criminal sentencing for his domestic violence assault on former girlfriend Rihanna was moved up to this afternoon at 2 p.m. PST, two days earlier than his recently re-scheduled August 27, 2009 date. At a previously scheduled sentencing hearing on August 5th, this blog reported that Rihanna’s attorney Donald Etra explained that the delay was because L.A. Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg was “awaiting confirmation from Virginia as to what Chris would be doing” during his sentence of community labor....

The credit reporting companies Equifax and TransUnion were fined over $20 million as a result of an order issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB found that both credit reporting companies had deceived customers by tricking them into signing up for recurring payment subscription-like services, as well as lied about the cost of their services. Additionally, the CFPB found that the companies misled consumers into thinking that the reports and scores provided were more useful than they actually were by falsely claiming that they were the same reports considered by lenders....

A 21-year-old Brooklyn woman is thanking her lucky stars after an early Monday morning crash. At about 4 a.m., Sophia Anderson, 21, and a male passenger plowed through a Long Island stop sign and straight into the home of 96-year-old Helen Indiere. The car took out two rooms and a number of appliances before landing in the yard, where it slammed into a cypress tree. It thankfully missed Indiere and her live-in health aide, both of whom were sleeping about 20 feet away....

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun publishing quarterly reports on its website (http://www.fda.gov) that identify drug products that are under safety investigation by the agency, and the specific health risks associated with use of the drugs. On Thursday, the FDA released Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified by the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) January - March 2008. The FDA is providing this information to consumers and health care providers under the 2007 Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act, which requires the agency to release public quarterly updates of new safety information or potential signals of serious risk associated with certain drugs....

Surprise, surprise, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is being sued. However, it’s not for his famously colorful verbal treatment of other chefs and cooks. Instead, some ex-employees at his Los Angeles restaurant, The Fat Cow, are suing his company for alleged wage and overtime violations. The plaintiffs, former servers and baristas, allege in a proposed class action lawsuit that Ramsay’s restaurant required them to work through their breaks without compensation, Radar Online reports....