BREAKING NEWS
Sean āDiddyā Combs joins list of Hollywood stars charged with sex crimes
Read full article: Sean āDiddyā Combs joins list of Hollywood stars charged with sex crimesWith his arrest this week, Sean āDiddyā Combs joins a short list of celebrities prosecuted for sex crimes in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Comedian Kevin Hart joins an elite group honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American humor
Read full article: Comedian Kevin Hart joins an elite group honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American humorKevin Hart rose from the open mics and comedy clubs of his native Philadelphia to become one of his countryās most recognizable performers.
Celebrities, politicians among those named in sex abuse suits filed under NY's Adult Survivors Act
Read full article: Celebrities, politicians among those named in sex abuse suits filed under NY's Adult Survivors ActFor a year, New Yorkās Adult Survivors Act gave adults claiming they had been sexually assaulted a chance to file civil lawsuits, no matter how long ago the assaults occurred.
The Adult Survivors Act launched over 2,500 sex abuse suits. Now, itās expiring
Read full article: The Adult Survivors Act launched over 2,500 sex abuse suits. Now, itās expiringA year-long suspension of the legal time limit to sue over sexual assaults against adults in New York has led to a tidal wave of claims on behalf of women who were incarcerated.
Billy Crystal and Queen Latifah look marvelous as they headline this year's Kennedy Center Honors
Read full article: Billy Crystal and Queen Latifah look marvelous as they headline this year's Kennedy Center HonorsYou know youāve made a cultural impact when Henry Kissinger quotes your own joke back to you.
Bill Cosby accusers seek to expand time frames for lawsuits by sex-assault victims
Read full article: Bill Cosby accusers seek to expand time frames for lawsuits by sex-assault victimsA group of women who accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault and were dismayed when he had his conviction overturned and left prison are trying again to seek justice in the courts.
Bill Cosby sued by 9 more women in Nevada for alleged decades-old sexual assaults
Read full article: Bill Cosby sued by 9 more women in Nevada for alleged decades-old sexual assaultsNine more women are accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault in a lawsuit that alleges he used what they call his āenormous power, fame and prestigeā to victimize them.
Former Playboy model accuses Bill Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1969
Read full article: Former Playboy model accuses Bill Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1969A former Playboy model who alleges Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her and another woman at his home in 1969 is suing the entertainer in Los Angeles under a new California law that suspends the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims.
5 years on, key #MeToo voices take stock of the movement
Read full article: 5 years on, key #MeToo voices take stock of the movementOnce again, disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein sits in a courtroom, on trial in Los Angeles while the reckoning the accusations against him launched marks a significant milestone this month.
Timeline of Roman Polanski's 45-year-old teen sex abuse case
Read full article: Timeline of Roman Polanski's 45-year-old teen sex abuse caseThe release of a transcript of previously sealed testimony in Roman Polanski's long-running sex abuse case in Los Angeles is the latest development in a legal saga that has spanned 45 years.
Cosby lawyer urges jurors to consider only proof from trial
Read full article: Cosby lawyer urges jurors to consider only proof from trialA lawyer for Bill Cosby told jurors they need to look past years of public accusations against him and consider only the evidence presented by a woman who says he sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was 16.
'Donkey Kong defense' arises at Bill Cosby sex abuse trial
Read full article: 'Donkey Kong defense' arises at Bill Cosby sex abuse trialA dispute over the arcade game Donkey Kong arose during the civil trial of Bill Cosby over allegations that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975.
Distraught teen told of Cosby sex abuse, friend testifies
Read full article: Distraught teen told of Cosby sex abuse, friend testifiesA friend of a woman suing Bill Cosby alleging he sexually abused her as a teen testified that Judy Huth was distraught and in tears at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 after the alleged molestation.
Bill Cosby lawyers cry foul as civil sex assault trial looms
Read full article: Bill Cosby lawyers cry foul as civil sex assault trial loomsWith less than a week to go before a civil trial, Bill Cosby's lawyers are crying foul over a change in the story of a woman who alleges he sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion.
Mario Batali acquittal underscores perils of #MeToo cases
Read full article: Mario Batali acquittal underscores perils of #MeToo casesLegal experts and victimsā advocates say celebrity chef Mario Bataliās acquittal on sexual assault charges underscores the inherent difficulties of prosecuting such cases nearly five years into the #MeToo era.
Jon Stewart: Authoritarian governments a threat, not comedy
Read full article: Jon Stewart: Authoritarian governments a threat, not comedyComedian Jon Stewart says speculation about the future of comedy amid increased audience cultural sensitivity is ignoring a true and enduring threat: authoritarian governments around the world.
Supreme Court won't review decision that freed Bill Cosby
Read full article: Supreme Court won't review decision that freed Bill CosbyA spokesperson for Bill Cosby says the 84-year-old comedian is considering a final standup tour after the U.S. Supreme Court said it would not revive the sexual assault case against him.
Bill Cosby likely to avoid testifying in sex assault lawsuit
Read full article: Bill Cosby likely to avoid testifying in sex assault lawsuitA Los Angeles judge appears strongly inclined to allow Bill Cosby to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege and avoid giving a deposition in the lawsuit of a woman who alleges he sexually abused her when she was 15 in the mid-1970s.
Appellate judges raise doubts about Weinstein's conviction
Read full article: Appellate judges raise doubts about Weinstein's convictionA New York appeals court has excoriated Manhattan prosecutors for filling out Harvey Weinsteinās rape trial last year with what one judge deemed āincredibly prejudicial testimonyā from women whose allegations werenāt part of the criminal charges against him.
Sundance Film Fest unveils lineup for hybrid 2022 edition
Read full article: Sundance Film Fest unveils lineup for hybrid 2022 editionThe Sundance Film Festival is returning to the Utah mountains in January armed with documentaries about Bill Cosby, Princess Diana, Kanye West and Lucille Ball as well as the directorial debuts of Eva Longoria, Tig Notaro and Jesse Eisenberg.
Maxwell's brother says US prosecutors seeking to 'break' her
Read full article: Maxwell's brother says US prosecutors seeking to 'break' herThe brother of a British socialite charged with helping Jeffrey Epstein exploit underage girls says her prosecution is āthe most over-hyped trial of the century,ā designed to break a woman targeted by authorities who are desperate to blame someone for the late financierās crimes.
Hard lessons for lawyers in Cosby case; tougher for victims
Read full article: Hard lessons for lawyers in Cosby case; tougher for victimsThe public outcry over Bill Cosbyās sudden release from prison, where he was serving a sentence for criminal sexual assault, was swift, with #MeToo activists worried it would have a chilling effect on sexual assault survivors.
Rashad draws critics and dismissal calls for defending Cosby
Read full article: Rashad draws critics and dismissal calls for defending CosbyPhylicia Rashad has found herself embroiled in controversy after expressing public support for Bill Cosbyās release from prison, with some prominent Black voices calling for her dismissal as dean of Howard University's College of Fine Arts.
San Antonio nonprofit, law professor fear Bill Cosbyās release will deter rape survivors from seeking help
Read full article: San Antonio nonprofit, law professor fear Bill Cosbyās release will deter rape survivors from seeking helpA San Antonio nonprofit and a local law professor fear the release of Bill Cosby on Wednesday could deter rape survivors from seeking help.
EXPLAINER: Why Bill Cosby's conviction was overturned
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Why Bill Cosby's conviction was overturnedBill Cosbyās sexual assault conviction has been thrown out by Pennsylvaniaās highest court, which ruled that he was unfairly prosecuted because a previous district attorney had promised he wouldn't be charged.
Clarence Williams III, 'The Mod Squad's' Linc, dies at 81
Read full article: Clarence Williams III, 'The Mod Squad's' Linc, dies at 81Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series āThe Mod Squadā and Princeās father in āPurple Rain,ā has died.
Lawyer defending Trump accustomed to political disaster
Read full article: Lawyer defending Trump accustomed to political disasterHe argued that Trump could not have ā and would not have ā encouraged the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. āWeāre really here because majority in the House of Representatives does not want to face Donald Trump as a political rival in the future. AdHis reemergence as an impeachment lawyer for Trump was a head-scratching moment for Pennsylvania's political and legal world. He had not campaigned for Trump, and a longtime friend, Brian Miles, told the Inquirer that the two men had never discussed Trump before Castor mentioned recently that he was up for the job. For all the criticism directed at him, Castor suggested that Trump did not criticize his performance.
Trump can't hang on to lawyers after false election claims
Read full article: Trump can't hang on to lawyers after false election claimsSince losing the November election to President Joe Biden, Trump has been hemorrhaging attorneys. Trump's impeachment lawyers started off their defense by misspelling the words āUnited Statesā in their brief. Navarro told The Associated Press that he āwarned the president that his legal team was going to fail him." Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Trumpās team did a āterrible job." AdBut after impeachment, Trump's legal needs will likely accelerate, with the investigations in New York, Georgia and possibly Washington, D.C., where prosecutors will have the power of subpoena.
Trump names 2 lawyers to impeachment defense team
Read full article: Trump names 2 lawyers to impeachment defense team(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON ā Former president Donald Trump announced a new impeachment legal defense team Sunday, one day after it was revealed that he had parted ways with an earlier set of attorneys with just over a week to go before his Senate trial. AdThe announcement Sunday was intended to promote a sense of stability surrounding the Trump defense team as his impeachment trial nears. Trumpās team had initially announced that Butch Bowers, a South Carolina lawyer, would lead his legal team after an introduction from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Many legal scholars, however, say there is no bar to an impeachment trial despite Trump having left the White House. Schoen met with financier Jeffrey Epstein about joining his defense team on sex trafficking charges just days before Epstein killed himself in a New York jail.
Rape charges denied by lawyer for ā70s Showā actor Danny Masterson
Read full article: Rape charges denied by lawyer for ā70s Showā actor Danny MastersonAttorney Tom Mesereau entered the plea for the 44-year-old actor, who was not in court, to three charges of rape by force or fear. Prosecutors allege that he raped a 23-year-old woman sometime in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in April of 2003, and a 23-year-old woman between October and December of 2003, all at his Hollywood Hills home. Defense lawyer Tom Mesereau entered the plea for Masterson, who was not present in court, to three charges of rape by force or fear in Los Angeles County Superior Court. All of the alleged rapes happened at his Hollywood Hills home. The alleged rapes happened at the height of Mastersonās fame as he starred as Steven Hyde on Fox TVās retro sitcom āThat ā70s Showā from 1998 to 2006 alongside Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace.
Cosby's sex assault conviction goes before high-level court
Read full article: Cosby's sex assault conviction goes before high-level courtNow the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is set to hear his appeal of the conviction on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. The arguments will focus on the trial judge's decision to let five other accusers testify for the prosecution. Cosby, 83, hopes to overturn his 2018 sex assault conviction because the judge let prosecutors call five other accusers who said Cosby mistreated them the same way he did his victim, Andrea Constand. Judge Steven T. O'Neill had allowed just one other accuser to testify at Cosby's first trial in 2017, when the jury could not reach a verdict. O'Neill then let five other accusers testify at Cosby's retrial in 2018, when the jury convicted him of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand.
Bill Cosby, now 83, grins in newly released prison mug shot
Read full article: Bill Cosby, now 83, grins in newly released prison mug shotHARRISBURG, Pa. ā A newly released prison mug shot shows Bill Cosby smiling with a disposable mask hanging off his face. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections recently updated Cosbyās mug shot, something routinely done to document changes to inmates' appearance as they age. Cosby's new photo was taken Sept. 4. Cosby, 83, was convicted of felony sex assault and is serving a three- to 10-year prison term. An appeals court had upheld his conviction, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed this year to review two key issues in the case.
Bill Cosby appeal set for Dec. 1 in Pennsylvania high court
Read full article: Bill Cosby appeal set for Dec. 1 in Pennsylvania high courtHARRISBURG, Pa. ā The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear Bill Cosby's appeal of his felony sex assault conviction on Dec. 1. A lower appeals court had upheld his conviction, but the state's high court agreed this year to review two key issues in the case. The high court will also consider whether the jury should have heard evidence that Cosby had given quaaludes to women in the past. Dozens of women have come forward over the years to accuse Cosby of sexual assault, and the trial judge deemed him a sexually violent predator. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are sexual assault victims without their permission, which Constand has granted.
Actor Masterson's lawyer denies and denounces rape charges
Read full article: Actor Masterson's lawyer denies and denounces rape chargesActor Danny Masterson, left, stands with his attorney, Thomas Mesereau as he is arraigned on rape charges at Los Angeles Superior Court, in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. (Lucy Nicholson/Pool Photo via AP)
Actor Masterson's lawyer denies and denounces rape charges
Read full article: Actor Masterson's lawyer denies and denounces rape chargesActor Danny Masterson, left, stands with his attorney, Thomas Mesereau as he is arraigned on rape charges at Los Angeles Superior Court, in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. āThere have been repeated attempts to politicize this case,ā said Mesereau, who also represented Bill Cosby and Michael Jackson in their sexual misconduct cases. āWe want to do anything we can to tone down the cameras and the circus-like atmosphere that have pervaded this case," the attorney said. Despite dozens of investigations, most have led to no charges based on lack of evidence or too much time passing. He was removed from the Netflix show āThe Ranchā in 2017 over the allegations that would eventually lead to the charges.
Legal advocates line up on both sides of Bill Cosby's appeal
Read full article: Legal advocates line up on both sides of Bill Cosby's appealPHILADELPHIA ā Legal advocates are lining up on both sides of actor Bill Cosbyās appeal as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court prepares to review his 2018 sex assault conviction. Cosby was the first celebrity to go on trial in the #MeToo era, and his appeal could resolve lingering questions about how the cases should be tried. Public defenders in Philadelphia, in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in Cosby's appeal, noted that courts have given conflicting guidance on the issue. The other groups filing legal briefs in the appeal include the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. Cosbyās trial judge, Montgomery County Judge Steven OāNeill, said their testimony did just that, even if it occurred a decade or two before Constand's encounter.
Polanski's request to restore film academy membership denied
Read full article: Polanski's request to restore film academy membership deniedA judge on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, denied Polanski's request to restore his membership into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that bestows the Academy Awards two years after he was expelled from it for raping a minor. The fugitive film director sued in April 2019, asking the court to compel the organization to make him a member in good standing again. (AP Photo/File)LOS ANGELES A judge on Tuesday denied Roman Polanski's request to restore his membership in the organization that bestows the Academy Awards two years after he was expelled from it for raping a minor. The fugitive film director sued in April 2019, asking the court to compel the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to make him a member in good standing again. His art will survive long after the academy is a forgotten relic.An email seeking comment from academy officials wasn't immediately returned.