George Zimmerman’s new bail hearing is set for June 29, when his lawyer will again argue for his client’s release from jail before trial, the Associated Press reports. Zimmerman had been free after posting 10% of his original bail, set at $150,000 in April. But a judge revoked Zimmerman’s bail last week, after finding Zimmerman and his wife lied about their finances to get a lower bail at the April hearing....
“Hot sauce mom” Jessica Beagley has been convicted of misdemeanor child abuse by a jury in Alaska. Beagley, 36, earned the nickname of “hot sauce mom” after sending in a disturbing video of how she disciplined her 7-year-old adopted Russian son to the “Dr. Phil” television program. Beagley infamously yelled at her crying son for lying to her, put hot sauce in his mouth and forced him to take a cold shower....
“The Office” star Craig Robinson was arrested in the Bahamas for possession of pot and ecstasy. The Bahamas may be known as a mainstay for laid-back partiers, but Robinson tested his good vibes luck a little too far when he tried to board a plane with half a gram of marijuana and 18 ecstasy pills. Unfortunately for the comedic actor – who was in the Bahamas for the comedy show – he couldn’t wriggle himself out of this jam with a smooth one-liner because getting arrested abroad is no joke....
A DUI stop can be a harrowing experience for anyone, and probably more so if you feel you might be intoxicated. While you can’t rewind and undo that last glass of Pinot or gin and tonic, here are 10 things you’ll want to avoid during a DUI stop that may help you stay out of (more) legal trouble: Don’t refuse a Breathalyzer. While it may initially seem like a good idea to play the odds with the Field Sobriety Test (FST) and refuse a Breathalyzer test, every state has laws which call for your license to be suspended if you refuse, even if you’re sober....
“Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland was granted a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend actor Matt Prokop in Los Angeles Superior Court last week. The 23-year-old actress requested the order, which was not contested by Prokop, after claiming that Prokop was abusive during their relationship which ended in August, reports The Associated Press. What do you need to know about getting a restraining order like the one granted Hyland? Here are five lessons:...
In the never ending saga that is actress Lindsay Lohan’s legal life, the starlet has been released from her original 90-day inpatient rehab requirement. The 24 year-old actress-turned-courtroom-fixture will now be required to do an outpatient rehab program that includes psychotherapy and addiction counseling sessions several times per week. The court has also required Lohan to submit to drug testing twice a week until November. Lohan will be required to remain living in the Los Angeles area and will be able to work, reports the Houston Chronicle....
Late last week, a Pulaski County circuit court judge overturned an Arkansas law banning the adoption or foster care of children in homes where the parents are unmarried. The law had effectively prohibited gay couples in the state from adopting or fostering children as they are not permitted to marry under Arkansas law. The plaintiffs, group of families represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, had argued that the ban arbitrarily cut good homes from waiting lists of children in Arkansas which on average are 1,600 children long....
You want to give back to the community and make sure children get a great education. Teachers don’t go into the profession for money or glamour, and generally have an interest in doing good. But can doing something bad in your past keep you from ever getting a teaching job? A criminal record can be an impediment to any profession, and teachers are more carefully screened than most professionals. So here’s how a criminal record may affect getting a teaching job....
Air quality testing of trailers provided to Katrina victims by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has revealed that many of the trailers contain toxic levels of formaldehyde. According to the Centers for Disease Control, testing of a cross-section of FEMA-supplied travel trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi showed many trailers contained formaldehyde levels well above typical levels of indoor exposure, and these levels could increase in warmer weather....
In case you missed it, Chrysler has announced two recalls affecting more than 1.5 million of the company’s Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler vehicles. The latest recall affects almost 900,000 of the company’s sport utility vehicles, while the earlier recall involves nearly 700,000 additional vehicles. Here’s what you need to know: Mirror-Light Recall: More Than 60 Fires Reported The SUV mirror-light recall was issued Friday, after an investigation found faulty wiring in SUV vanity mirror lights posed a fire risk....
In the wake of the 2007-08 financial crisis, Congress created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency tasked with protecting consumer rights when dealing with banks, credit unions, debt collectors, mortgage servicers, payday lenders, securities firms, and other financial institutions. Part of the CFPB’s mission is taking, compiling, and tracking consumer complaints in a massive database, a database that, as of this writing, remains publicly viewable, searchable, and even downloadable. But interim CFPB head Mick Mulvaney has indicated the agency may shut down public access to the complaint database....
Just as the Second Amendment doesn’t guarantee you the right to have arms made out of actual, live bears (thanks, framers of the Constitution), it also doesn’t guarantee you the right to any type of weaponry. Generally speaking, state gun control laws can restrict the types of firearms citizens may own. A recent case in Massachusetts may stretch the limits of state gun restrictions, specifically whether the right to bear arms extends to Tasers and stun guns....
The Most Interesting Man in the World is in the dullest of disputes, a legal battle over whether commissions were due his talent management agency. Jonathon Goldsmith, who plays Dos Equis Beer’s advertising character, is being sued under a 2012 contract by a talent agency for its commission from the beer commercials, according to Ad Age. The actor says the suit brought by Gold Levin Talent is frivolous and is jeopardizing his campaign with Dos Equis....
Things are looking up for Dr. Dre. The Chronic has been making money digitally for years, and now Dre will be getting a cut of those royalties. A District Court Judge in Los Angeles ruled last week that Death Row Records owes Dr. Dre 100% of all royalties it has earned from selling digital copies of the seminal rap album. The saga of The Chronic and other Dr. Dre albums begins in 1996, when the Compton native left Death Row–the label he started with Suge Knight, reports The New York Times....
The driver alleged to have drunkenly smashed into “Jenny From the Block” may be heading for a Southern California cell block. TMZ reports that the L.A. County District Attorney’s office is charging Robert John Reitz with two misdemeanor counts of DUI for allegedly rear-ending Jennifer Lopez in September. Prosecutors state that Reitz’s blood alcohol concentration was nearly twice the legal limit, and he may be facing six months in jail if convicted....
Millions of web users’ passwords are being reset after two popular websites were hit by hackers in a security breach, Reuters reports. LinkedIn, a professional social-networking site, warned its 161 million users of the hacker attack Wednesday. eHarmony, an online dating site with more than 20 million users, announced it had also been hacked, apparently by the same person or group. As many as 8 million passwords may have been compromised, according to Ars Technica....
A Michigan homeowner has been charged with second degree murder for shooting and killing 19-year-old Renisha McBride when she knocked on his door for help earlier this month. Theodore Wafer, 54, of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn Heights, also faces charges for manslaughter and a felony gun offense for killing McBride with a shotgun blast to the face. The previously unidentified killer turned himself in for arraignment Friday, and is being held on a $250,000 bond, the Detroit Free Press reports....
Hours after Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of Las Vegas concertgoers, killing 58 and injuring over 500 more, his brother told reporters Paddock was “not an avid gun guy at all.” “Where the hell did he get automatic weapons,” Eric Paddock told CBS News. “He has no military background or anything like that.” Police discovered at least 10 guns in the Mandalay Bay hotel room from which Paddock shot, including ....
In a New York courtroom, Joseph Massino made mafia history by being the first mob boss to ever testify in court against an underling. Massino’s testimony, which he hopes will reduce his time in jail, provided the jury with evidence about the Bonanno crime family, as well as defendant Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano’s involvement in the murder of Randolph Pizzolo. Joseph Massino is currently serving two consecutive life sentences stemming from racketeering and murder charges, reports Reuters....
At first glance, creating a fake Facebook profile for your ex-boyfriend seems like a fun way to exact revenge. But Dana Thornton would probably warn that doing so may be illegal. Thornton was charged last year under New Jersey’s identity theft law for impersonating her ex on Facebook. And on Wednesday, a state judge ruled that the prosecution can move forward. That’s right–creating and using a fake Facebook profile is akin to identity theft....
