Friday, March 28, 2014

Shaquille O’Neal’s “ShaqDown” Franchise Accused of Fraud

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




Los Angeles, CA (March 25, 2014) (Press Release): Hollywood-based Tigris Entertainment and U.K.-based DreamStone Ltd. announced that they have filed a lawsuit against video game developer Maysalward, Inc. and its founder Nour Khrais. Tigris and DreamStone have retained the Los Angeles office of the Law Offices of Nate Kelly and Dallas-based Siegel Law Group as Counsel. The attorneys filed the federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.

Jordan-based Maysalward is the “recognized leader of mobile games development in the Middle East.” Maysalward partnered with Shaquille O’Neal’s One Spear Entertainment in 2013 to become the official Middle East Marketer of his mobile game “ShaqDown.” Prior to the lawsuit, Maysalward had recently partnered with the former NBA Great’s company to develop his soon-to-be-released game, “ShaqDown 2.”

The federal suit accuses the Middle East gaming giant and its founder of engaging in a “systematic campaign of fraud and deception to deprive DreamStone and Tigris of their valuable intellectual property, earned money, and reputation related to the production and distribution” of DreamStone’s popular “GHUL: 1001 Arabian Nights” mobile game.

Maysalward, which published DreamStone’s enormously popular GHUL mobile game from October 2013 to January 2014, is accused of stealing all proceeds from the game, misappropriating GHUL intellectual property, and holding the GHUL game hostage in its Jordanian headquarters. The Complaint contends that Maysalward’s refusal to hand over the game has damaged DreamStone and Tigris by disallowing it from collecting mobile game revenue, diminishing the companies’ reputation in the gaming community, diminishing the value of the GHUL franchise, and preventing Tigris from moving forward with production of its upcoming GHUL movie.

“Maysalward and Nour Khrais have maliciously absconded with my clients’ valuable intellectual property and hard-earned money. We will fight tooth and nail to ensure the game is restored on gaming platforms and the Defendants pay every dime needed to rectify the damage done to my clients’ reputations and the GHUL franchise,” said Jack Siegel of the Siegel Law Group, co-counsel for Tigris and DreamStone.

Source.... LAS


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#Drugs and Drunk Driving #DUI Checkpoints - Know the Facts!

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




Officers look for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, as well as checking drivers for proper licensing. Police hope to delay motorists only momentarily.

When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving.

Recent statistics show that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems, according to officials. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving -- about 14 percent -- than for alcohol, at 7.3 percent. Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

According to officials, DUI checkpoints are a proven deterrent in reducing the number of people killed and injured in alcohol- or drug-related crashes. Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.

In California, this deadly crime led to 802 deaths in 2012. Nationally, the latest data shows nearly 10,000 were killed by an impaired driver.

"Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed two lives and resulted in 47 injury crashes harming 62 of our friends and neighbors."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have the most effective documented results of any DUI enforcement strategy, while also providing considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.

Using accident statistics, DUI checkpoints are placed in locations where they have the greatest opportunity of being a deterrent to drunk and drugged driving, while providing for the safety of officers and the public.

In addition to jail times, drivers caught driving while impaired can expect to face fines, fees, DUI classes and other expenses that can cost more than $10,000.

Authorities are reminding everyone to report drunk drivers by calling 911.

Source.... TR

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MP3Tunes Founder Must Pay $41 Million per Jury Verdict

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




MP3Tunes founder Michael Robertson has been ordered by a New York jury to pay about $41 million in damages for massive copyright infringement.

The ruling on Wednesday comes a week after he was found liable in a lawsuit brought by Capitol Records, EMI and other record labels and music publishers. Reuters reports that verdict issued was complex and could take some time to figure out exactly how much was awarded. The record labels brought many claims over songs and cover art and there could be some nuance around a calculation of statutory damages and lost profits.

Robertson is expected to appeal the ruling.

Martin Bandier, Chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music, praised the ruling.

"Sony/ATV Music Publishing commends the jury on their careful consideration of the facts and their decision in theMP3Tunes.com case," Bandier said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "The judicial process has worked in favor of the songwriter and demonstrated a respect for the copyrights laws. We will continue to vigorously pursue action against those who have disregarded the copyright laws of the works entrusted in our care.”

Here's what we wrote last week about the trial...
Robertson operated two websites, MP3Tunes.com and Sideload.com, that once boasted a catalog of more than 400,000 recordings by 40,000 artists. In some respects an early version of cloud services, Robertson's sites allowed its users to upload music, listen to music, and transfer or "sideload" music from third-party websites to storage lockers.

The plaintiffs brought the copyright case in 2007, the same year that Viacom sued YouTube. In its nearly seven years on the court docket, Capitol Records v. MP3Tunes became incredibly complex. Thanks in large part to the lawsuit, MP3Tunes filed for bankruptcy in 2012 with Robertson later challenging the court's jurisdiction over him. Further, Robertson attempted to raise all sorts of issues relating to whether the record labels had properly registered copyrights on their songs.

The judge in the case determined on summary judgment that MP3Tunes and Robertson were liable for direct infringement for personally uploading some of the songs in question, but the main trial drama revolved around issues of "willful blindness" and "red flag knowledge" with regards to thousands of other hit songs.

As explored in the recently settled Viacom v. YouTube case, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides safe harbor from copyright liability under certain conditions. Most famously, Internet service providers that respond expeditiously upon the actual knowledge that comes from takedown notices can claim a safe harbor defense. But then there are points where the immunity can be attacked including when a service provider is aware of a high probability of infringement and consciously avoids to confirm that fact or when a service provider has a right and ability to control infringing activity.

In 2012, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals addressed this in the YouTube case and hinted that something less than a DMCA takedown notice could trigger legal obligations.

Afterward, the judge in the MP3Tunes case withdrew his prior grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendants on the possibility they exhibited willful blindness and had red flag knowledge.

Robertson countered this triable issue with evidence that the record companies had distributed free songs online as part of marketing campaigns, which he believed might exonerate him as a innocent infringer. After all, perhaps his infringements didn't rise to the level of a standard known as what's "objectively obvious to a reasonable person."

Unfortunately for him, a jury came back with a ruling that MP3tunes was willfully blind -- a determination that will be cheered by the entertainment industry's fiercest copyright advocates. It's pretty much the exact outcome that Viacom had hoped to get against YouTube before abandoning the case.

Robertson, who was also the founder of MP3.com, successfully defended a few claims including ones over whether he should have removed files from users' lockers, but the trial now moves on to a determination of damages.

UPDATED: A jury punishes the owner of the once-popular website for hosting thousands of stolen songs.

Source.... HR

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Images of Celebrities Faces Caused by #Drugs

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:





Kate Moss still gets paid to be beautiful, but her coke days turned her moneymaker into a miserable mug.



George Michael puffed up and ruined his teeth after years of drug abuse.



Matthew Perry was once the handsome standout star of “Friends” and then he battled a lengthy drug addiction, which took a toll on his face.



Pam Anderson was the hottest thing to hit the "Baywatch" beach, but years of coke doesn’t do a body (or face) good.



Courtney Love may have kept her signature lipstick, but nothing else about her face stayed the same.



Macaulay Culkin was once a normal teen star and then a rumored drug addiction turned him into a waif of what he once was.

More at.....HS  If you are taking Drugs, please find a place to go so you can come back to us!

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5 Arrested for Running #DUI #Checkpoints

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:





Five people were nabbed on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs at a recent operation near Palm Desert, CHP officials said Wednesday.

According to the agency, California Highway Patrol officers staffed a sobriety checkpoint on Friday on Washington Street, just south of 41st Avenue.

Of 506 vehicles that passed through the checkpoint, 37 drivers were evaluated "... to determine whether or not they were driving while under the influence of alcohol and or drugs," said CHP Officer Mike Radford.

"Of those 37 drivers, 5 drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence," he said.

“Driving under the influence is a choice which places everyone in danger,"  added Captain Laura Quattlebaum, the Indio CHP Area Commander.  "The CHP is very thankful so many drivers made the right choice in having a sober driver."

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Surprising Entertainment #Lawsuits for the Week

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:








Summit Entertainment has scored a round in an ongoing trademark dispute with Bath & Body Works over a line of "Twilight" fragrances.

The lawsuit has been ongoing for three years now, and BBW sought declaratory relief to establish its rights to use "Twilight Woods" and "Twilight Crush" and that it would not infringe or tarnish the marks of the producer of the blockbuster 2008 film.
On March 21, U.S. District Judge George Daniels denied a motion for summary judgment filed by BBW.
In his opinion, the New York federal judge writes that Summit has presented significant evidence that its marks are strong, and that viewing the evidence in Summit's favor, a reasonable jury could conclude similarity in trade dress and consumer confusion as to the source of the cosmetics. The judge also says that a jury could conclude that BBW intended to associate itself with Twilight.
Notwithstanding a potential settlement, the case appears headed to trial.  Read Opinion here.... http://www.scribd.com/doc/214118527/Twilight-Trademark-Opinion

Earlier this month, photographer Brian Masck kept his lawsuit alive against Sports Illustrated for allegedly infringing his iconic 1991 photo of former University of Michigan football superstar Desmond Howard doing a "Heisman" pose during a game. Now comes the follow-up lawsuit. On Monday, he filed a new copyright infringement lawsuit against ESPN. The complaint, long on backstory, says "ESPN The Magazine did everything SI did, but the photo appeared only once, in the last print appearance of the photograph, in the issue dated October 3, 2012."  Ruling..... http://www.scribd.com/doc/214661773/Heisman

50 Cent has gotten a partial victory in a lawsuit brought against a DJ who ran hip-hop website WorldStarHipHop.com. The main controversy in the lawsuit had to do with the website's masthead featuring an image of the rapper. In a ruling on Monday, a federal judge granted the hip-hop star summary judgment on copyright and right of publicity claims. In doing so, the judge rejected affirmative defenses including fair use. According to the ruling, "Defendants provide no authority to support the fair use of a celebrity’s image or likeness. This is not surprising, as a celebrity’s image, standing alone, only evokes that celebrity’s persona. Jackson’s image does not, by itself, describe anything about Defendants’ website." Read Heree.....  http://www.scribd.com/doc/214626446/50-Cent-v-World-Star-Hip-Hop-Opinion

Much has been made of an Illinois federal judge's decision at the end of last year that pretty much put most of what we know about the Sherlock Holmes character in the public domain. The case is now on appeal, and the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle figures to make some interesting arguments. Meanwhile, the estate has signaled that it intends to protect its trademarks going forward. Case in point: Last week, the estate opposed an attempt by Rocket Pictures to register "Sherlock Gnomes." Rocket intends Sherlock Gnomes to be the follow-up to its 2011 computer animated feature Gnomeo & Juliet. The Conan Doyle estate says it will dilute their own hold on Sherlock Holmes. Here's the papers filed with the Trademark Office.....   http://www.scribd.com/doc/214666850/Sherlock-Gnomes

Finally today comes a ruling from a Texas judge. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff claimed that the 1989 film Tango & Cash, starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell, defamed him because Russell's character appeared in the movie "dressed as a woman with lipstick, a woman's miniskirt, and woman's high heel shoes." The plaintiff says his teenage friends teased him because he shares the same first name ("Gabriel") as Russell's character. Of course, the claim goes nowhere. The judge fails to find any statement "of and concerning the plaintiff," and the claim was also barred by the statute of limitations.   Read Here..... http://www.scribd.com/doc/214668019/Tango-Cash


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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Hologram Patent #Lawsuits #MichaelJackson and #CirqueduSoleil show in Las Vegas

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




Two years ago, a hologram of Tupac Shakur at the Coachella Music Festival had people wondering about what might be next in concert possibilities. Now, the technology that created the spectacle has landed in the hands of a noteworthy billionaire: Alki David, the eccentric one who attempted to transform the television business with streaming technology before Aereo stole his thunder and TV broadcasters unleashed their legal guns on him.

Now, David finds himself on the flip side of the intellectual property coin. His FilmOn and hologram-maker Musion are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed on Monday against Cirque du Soleil and MGM Resorts for allegedly infringing patents to create a hologram used in the final scene of Michael Jackson: One, the resident acrobatic production at Mandalay Bay Theatre in Las Vegas.

The complaint filed in California federal court begins with some history, read here....  http://www.scribd.com/doc/214434044/Hologram


"In 1862, John Pepper and Henry Dircks invented 'Pepper's Ghost,' an illusion technique, which, over the last 150 years, has appeared in movies, concerts, magic shows and amusement park rides," says the lawsuit. "Today a new incarnation of Pepper's Ghost exists -- Musion Eyeliner technology. Musion Eyeliner uses a patented system to project three-dimensional images virtually indistinguishable from real life bodies."

David was apparently impressed upon seeing the technology being used to create the deceased rapper Tupac appearing on stage with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. He says he recently bought the exclusive license to Musion's patent and has started up a company called Hologram USA with a showroom at the FilmOn Studios on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills.

Why? He's got plans. "We already agreed on hologram performances with Flo Rida and the late Amy Winehouse," he says. "Many other shows are coming."

But first comes some score-settling about who owns rights to hologram technology. David says he's about to file a slew of lawsuits. This Michael Jackson one is the first.

The new lawsuit mentions two patents at issue: One for a device for displaying moving images in the background of a stage and one for a projection apparatus and method for pepper's ghost illusion.
"Although it has been widely acknowledged that Defendants employ the technology to create a three-dimensional hologram of Michael Jackson in Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: One, Defendants do not possess a valid license to practice that technology."

Meanwhile, the hologram technology has landed in the hands of a Hollywood bad boy with a taste for the outrageous. David tells THR, "This is by far the most exciting business opportunity I have ever seen. Imagine running 100 meters against Usain Bolt or resurrecting Richard Pryor!"

Source.... HR

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Monday, March 24, 2014

More #Women then Men #Arrested for Alcohol #DUI in LA and #California

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




 Traffic Injury Research Foundation research survey revealed distinct profiles of women arrested for driving under the influence:

The young woman who drinks to socialize.

The recently married woman with children.

The "empty-nester" or woman in the midst of a major life stressor that could be caused by divorce, death or some other factor.

Other possible reasons for the increase in DUI arrests among women: More women in the workforce means more women are driving than in previous years. There’s also a generation of young women who are delaying marriage and children for a professional career.

In Los Angeles County, arrests of women ages 21 to 30 years old jumped by about 134 percent from 1999 to 2011.

Cops are better trained to find impaired drivers
Research into the reasons why more women are being arrested is minimal. Researchers have yet to come up with a definitive reason to explain the increase. One explanation is that law enforcement has made it a priority to get impaired drivers off the roads.

In California, DUI arrests decreased overall by 8 percent in 2011, following a 6 percent decrease in the two years prior. Starting in 2008, the state began a serious crackdown on drunk driving. Officials launched a public awareness campaign, which was accompanied by a surge of DUI checkpoints and patrols.

Sgt. Daniel Dail, who has worked DUI checkpoints with the Traffic Service Detail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department since 2009, said: “What I’ve seen is our deputies and our officers throughout the city are getting better trained.” 

Dail said law enforcement has been particularly focused on training officers on how to detect drugged-driving; that is, driving under the influence of marijuana, narcotics or prescription drugs. He also has seen more women arrested at DUI checkpoints, but he doesn’t think they are drunk.

“A lot of them do take prescription medication or mix them,” Dail said. “Prescription medication and alcohol, or medicinal marijuana, or something like that.”

More than three-quarters of women arrested for DUI told researchers they mixed prescription drugs with alcohol, according to a survey by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation published last year.

"I think it's no secret that half of America is on some kind of anti-depressant and happy pill,” said Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Sara Azari. She specializes in representing defendants charged with serious, felony DUIs.

Azari recently represented a woman convicted of vehicular manslaughter who was on a mix of anti-anxiety pills. A jury found she killed a tow-truck driver who was on the side of Pacific Coast Highway. The lawyer said many people do not understand that a prescription pill can lead to a DUI arrest.

“It says you’re not supposed to drive when you’re taking it. No driving towards the time of the ingestion,” Azari said. “And people just get behind the wheel and go about [their] lives.”

Source.... scpr

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Friday, March 21, 2014

Off Duty LADP Officer Arrested for DUI After Crashing into McDonald's Sign

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




An off-duty Los Angeles police officer was arrested early Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence after he allegedly crashed his car into a McDonald's drive-through in Diamond Bar, officials said.

Jonathan Chel, 29, of Fullerton, was exiting the eastbound 60 Freeway at Golden Springs Drive about 1:15 a.m. when his Mazda 3 veered off the exit ramp, according to a California Highway Patrol report.

The vehicle crossed over to an on-ramp before it "launched" across a 50-foot gulf, coming to rest in the drive-through at Golden Springs and Brea Boulevard, the CHP said.

Los Angeles County firefighters pulled Chel from the vehicle, and he was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center for injuries the CHP described as moderate. A CHP officer responded to the hospital and arrested Chel on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, the agency said.

Los Angeles police Officer Luis Garcia confirmed Chel was off duty at the time, but referred other questions about the incident to the CHP, which is handling the investigation.

No other vehicles were involved, the CHP said. Chel was the lone occupant of his car.

Source..... latimes


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Arrest #Warrant is Out For #Grammy Award Winning Singer #AnitaBaker

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:







A Wayne County Circuit judge signed off on the warrant this week. It was sought by the lawyer for a company that says Baker owes it $15,000 for work done on her Grosse Pointe home.

Baker's lawyer, Jamal Hamood, says he plans to file a motion Friday to cancel the warrant. Hamood says Baker wasn't served with papers and didn't know she had been sued in 2011 by Ray A. Smith Painting & Decorating. He says Baker is out of town and will remain so until the warrant issue is cleared up.

The company's lawyer, Daniel Gerow, tells The Detroit News he doesn't want Baker to go to jail, but only wants to see his client get paid.

Source....  FOX


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#JamesCameron Wins Another #Avatar Copyright #Lawsuit

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:





Cameron has already beaten a $1 billion copyright claim from Bryant Moore, has been the victor in an implied contract claim from Eric Ryder, and has denied a win for Gerald Morawski. There have been other Avatar victories too.

The latest claim came from a Vancouver man named Emil Malak, who said that Avatar bore a striking resemblance to his 1998 screenplay, Terra Incognita, about a community of indigenous people who were protecting their home planet from militaristic human intruders who want to mine precious minerals.

Malek was actually the first person to make claims that Avatar was stolen; we first covered his allegations back in December 2010.

But apparently, Malek has seemingly realized that his chances of winning were roughly equivalent to those of him filling out a perfect March Madness bracket in Warren Buffett's challenge.

According to Fox's press release, "After the first day of hearing on Cameron's motion for summary judgment, Malak approached Cameron's counsel and said he no longer wanted to pursue his claim."

Malek is quoted as saying, "After listening to the evidence, I became convinced that Avatar was independently created and accordingly I dismissed my action."

(Asked whether there was any settlement, a Fox spokesperson says, "No. Malak was not paid anything.  Defendants did waive costs.")

Since Avatar came out in 2009, the statute of limitations has presumably passed on any new claims. Then again, Warner Bros. is still in the midst of a lawsuit filed last year by a Hawaii man named Thomas Althouse over whether The Matrix was stolen, so it's impossible to rule out more Avatar lawsuits and yet more James Cameron legal victories.

Source.... HWR

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Monday, March 17, 2014

Fight Breaks Out Over #KISS Member #EricCarr Estate Representation

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




 The Kiss Company, Gene Simmons Worldwide and Universal-Polygram were taken to New York Supreme Court by the claimed estate of Eric Carr, the KISS drummer who died in 1991. The action was reported in the media as a lawsuit, although technically what was filed was a petition for pre-action disclosure. In advance of a legal claim, the estate was seeking discovery. The filing regarded alleged missing royalty payments from representatives of Kiss and UMPG and the copyright re-registration of the composition "Little Caesar" without Carr's name.

Then on Wednesday, KISS' official website published a "statement from Eric Carr family," which quoted attorney Mark Abbattista, said to represent the Carr family.

"It came to our attention through a variety of different media outlets that a legal proceeding was filed against the band KISS purporting to be on behalf of the ‘The Estate of Eric Carr’ and the ‘late KISS drummer’s heirs,’" said Abbattista. "This proceeding was filed by a non-related third party without any knowledge, authorization or consent of anyone in the Carr family.”

Abbatista added that a cease and desist was sent out to stop further actions from the claimed Carr estate.

We spoke to Robert Garson, the attorney representing the petitioner. He calls the demand "complete rubbish" and maintains he was "validly instructed by executors of the estate." He adds that "this chap" Abbattista "represents Eric Carr's sister, Loretta Caravello," but that she's not in control.

Abbattista, the same entertainment lawyer who was featured in the 21st season of CBS' reality show The Amazing Race, declined to say anything more than the statement already given.

Although it's nearly impossible to verify the legitimacy of the petition filed in New York court, the petition does include fairly detailed notes about contract agreements and communications with Kiss parties. In addition, the petitioner has lodged exhibits including a pay statement, portions of the songwriter agreement, and emails from Universal Music Publishing Group and a Kiss representative.

Source.... HR

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#Checkpoints in California for St Patrick's Day #DUI

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




Checkpoints for March 17, 2014
LBC Area Los Angeles DUI Patrol, Long Beach, All Day, DUI Saturation Patrol
North Hollywood, DUI Saturation Patrol, 5pm - 1am
Norwalk DUI Saturation Patrol, Throughout City, Norwalk, Ca.
Redlands DUI Saturation Patrol, Redlands, Ca.
San Francisco, DUI Saturation Patrol, San Francisco, Ca.
Inland Empire DUI Checkpoint, Palm Springs Undisclosed Location 9pm - 2:30am
Los Angeles, Sunset Blvd. and Bates, DUI Checkpoint 


March 21, 2014
Gilroy DUI Checkpoint, Undisclosed Location, 9pm - 3am, Gilroy, Ca.


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Friday, March 14, 2014

Stolen #CoinCollection Melted Down by #PawnStars Shop

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:




The famed Gold & Silver Pawn shop, featured on History Channel’s hit series “Pawn Stars,” reportedly melted down a precious coin collection that was stolen from a man by his niece.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Clark County Justice Court, obtained by ABC News, David Walters’ coin collection was taken from him by his niece Jennifer Beckman, who then proceeded to sell its contents to Gold & Silver Pawn for a reported $12,375, which she earned during three separate visits to the store.

Walters claims his niece lifted the collection in chunks and it he estimates it was worth up to $50,000. But he won’t be getting back his coins anytime soon.

According to the report, he contacted the shop and tried to put a hold on the coins once he figured out they’d be swiped, but too much time had passed and the coins were already long gone.

A rep for the shop told the news site that most of Walters collection was melted down.

"In a fast-moving shop, particularly our shop, because of its fame, you move things quickly," rep Lauren Herlovich said, explaining that coins, which typically come in plastic cases, are sorted and evaluated by a grader.

"We go through them," she added. "If the grader is not someone we trust, the cases are cracked open and the coins are sent out to be melted down. That was the case here. I don't know for sure, but I believe a majority were melted down. They weren't worth what he [Walters] thought they were worth."

Gold & Silver Pawn is featured on the hit History Channel series. During each episode, customers bring in unique items and try to convince Rick Harrison, Corey Harrison, “The Old Man” and Chumlee to fork up cash for their goods.

A rep for the History Channel did not immediately return FOX411’s request for comment. A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department could not immediately be reached for comment.

Source.... foxnews

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Thursday, March 13, 2014

#SXSW #CrimeScene 2 Dead After Rashad Charjuan Owens 22 Plows Through Police Barricade

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:





The identified, is in custody and will be charged with two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle.



11:50 a.m.: The American-Statesman has confirmed the identity of the suspect in last night’s SXSW incident. He is Rashad Charjuan Owens, 22, of Killeen.

11:15 a.m. update: Police are waiting to file capital murder charges against a suspected drunken driver who plowed through a crowd of South by Southwest festival-goers early Thursday morning in downtown Austin before they identify him.

Police Chief Art Acevedo said the man will face two charges of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault. The name of the suspect is expected to be released Thursday afternoon, Acevedo said.

Police also clarified who was killed in the incident. One of the dead, a man from the Netherlands, was riding a bicycle near the intersection of 11th and Red River streets when struck. The other, an Austin woman on a moped, also was killed. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Another man on the moped is in stable condition, Acevedo said.

Earlier:
A driver attempting to evade a drunk driving stop hurtled past a barricade on Red River Street and plowed through dozens of SXSW revelers, killing two and injuring 23 in a horrific scene early Thursday morning, police said. The street, home to many popular clubs hosting South by Southwest music showcases, had been closed to motorists and was crowded with music fans waiting to get into the Mohawk nightclub.

According to police, the man, driving a small Toyota car, went the wrong way down Ninth Street after evading a stop at a gas station around 12:30 a.m., turned onto Red River and drove for more than two blocks, striking numerous pedestrians before hitting a scooter traveling on 11th Street, killing a woman who was on board. The driver then struck a taxi, injuring two, and crashed into a parked van, Police Chief Art Acevedo said. A male cyclist from the Netherlands also was killed, he said Thursday morning.

The male driver of the scooter was in stable condition, Acevedo said. It had initially been reported that both people on the scooter had been killed.

The driver then attempted to flee on foot before he was stunned with a Taser gun and detained by the police officer who originally tried to pull the man over at a gas station on the frontage road of Interstate 35.

Speaking to reporters on Red River Street, which was still littered with shoes, clothing and other debris from the incident, Acevedo vowed the man would face capital murder charges in the deaths of the two scooter riders and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle.

Acevedo did not identify the suspect, who was alone in the car, but said police would provide more information later Thursday.

University Medical Center Brackenridge officials said at Thursday morning that eight of the 23 victims from the crash had been taken there. Two patients are critically injured, both with head injuries. One in is intensive care, the other in the Special Procedures Lab. Their prognosis is “worrisome.”

Three others are in serious condition, with a spinal fracture, minor head injuries and other problems. One is in good condotion, and two were treated for minor injuries and released, including the driver. Most of the victims were in their 20s.

Five people were critically injured and taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge within 15 minutes of the accident, emergency officials said.

Scott Jakota, a musician from Indiana in town to play SXSW, said he was one of the first people hit. He said the driver “gunned” the car, “and I was thrown up in the sky.” He appeared to have a leg injury and was being helped by his friends.

Ally Hulton, a 28-year-old from Los Angeles, was smoking a cigarette on the balcony of her friend’s apartment on Red River when she saw a car drive down the street “at full speed” before hitting someone.

It then appeared to accelerate into a crowd of people, she said.
“About 10 bodies went flying,” Hulton said.

A Statesman photographer on the balcony of the Mohawk at the time of the incident said he saw some bystanders attempting to provide first aid to victims while others sat stunned on curbs with their hands over their mouths. He said the band playing at the time, X, finished its set, unaware of what had happened.

A large section of Red River will be closed for most of the day Thursday, although police hope to open intersections by morning rush hour.

Shortly before 3 a.m. Mayor Lee Leffingwell expressed his condolences. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, as well as those being treated in area hospitals,” Leffingwell said in a statement. “The Austin Police department is investigating this matter as allegedly involving drunk driving. If this is true, this fact angers me. Drunk driving is never acceptable, and can lead to deadly consequences.”

Transmission Events, which owns the Mohawk, said on Twitter: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and injured from tonight’s tragedy. Please check and make sure everyone you know is home safe tonight.”

Acevedo said an officer assigned to a DWI detail attempted to pull the driver over at the Shell gasoline station at Ninth Street and the frontage road of Interstate 35. Acevedo said the man weaved through the crowded station to avoid the officer and then “accelerated at a high rate of speed” the wrong way on Ninth Street before turning onto Red River. The barricade was manned by a police officer who was forced out of the way by the onrushing car.

Acevedo said there was little that could have been done to stop the driver’s rampage. “This traffic management plan is a plan that has worked for many years, and obviously when we have something like this, we will review it,” he said. “But when somebody decides to do the things that this man did, it’s part of life and ultimately we have to hold people accountable for their actions. This individual acted in a reckless, willful disregard for the people that were here at this event.”
With additional reporting by Peter Blackstock, Nancy Flores, Ben Wermund and Jay Janner

Earlier:
According to Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, an APD officer who is part of a DWI task force attempted to stop a driver of a gray Toyota sedan at a Shell gas station on the Interstate 35 frontage road. The driver evaded the stop and weaved his way through the other cars at the station and headed west down Ninth Street, the wrong direction on a one-way street.

At Red River, he took a right, barrelled through the barricade, which was manned by a police officer, who jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. The driver accelerated at a high rate of speed, according to Acevedo, and struck multiple pedestrians on Red River, which was closed to street traffic and was full of people lined up outside the Mohawk. He drove two blocks through the pedestrians and at 11th, he struck a moped with a man and woman, who both died at the scene, Acevedo said.

The driver kept going, hit a taxi and a parked van, before jumping out of the car and fleeing on foot. The same officer who initiated the stop chased him all the way through and tased him, the police chief said.

Twenty-three people were injured, five of them critical. The more seriously injured were transported to University Medical Center Brackenridge within 15 minutes of the accident, Acevedo said.

The driver, who police have not yet identified, is in custody and will be charged with two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle.

A large section of Red River will be closed for most of the day Thursday, although police hope to open intersections by morning rush hour.

Earlier:
At least two are dead and 21 injured after a car drove through barricades and into a crowd of South of Southwest festival goers outside of the Mohawk music club on Red River Street downtown early Thursday morning, police officials say.

Police, who are holding a news conference, said the driver was taken into custody.

Lt. Brian Moon told the Associated Press that two victims were confirmed dead at the scene and that 21 others were transported to hospitals, about five to seven with serious injuries.

John Wickham, owner of nearby Elysium, was on the upper level of the Mohawk during a SXSW showcase by X, and told the Statesman he saw a car coming down the street fast with a police car in pursuit. He saw the car hit several people. He said he did not see the police car hit anyone.

Scott Jakota from Indiana said the car that came through the barricade was a gray Prius, and he was one of the first people hit. He said the driver gunned the car, “and I was thrown up in the sky.” He appeared to have a leg injury and was being helped by his friends.

Red River Street was closed to traffic for several blocks, including the block in front of the Mohawk. Separate groups of SXSW badgeholders and non-badgeholders were lined up in the street at the time of the incident.

Transmission Events, which owns the Mohawk, said on Twitter: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and injured from tonight’s tragedy. Please check and make sure everyone you know is home safe tonight.”

Source and Video....  SMVideo

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