Rapper C-Murder Sentenced to Life in Prison

On Friday, the rapper C-Murder, who is also the brother of rapper Master P, was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of killing a 16 year old fan named Steve Thomas at a nightclub in Harvey in 2002. The rapper was first convicted in 2003 but that was overturned and recently a jury convicted him a second time for the case. He has also been in jail after pleading no contest to two counts of attempted murder in a separate incident that happened at a nightclub in Baton Rouge in 2001.

Singer Rihanna to Testify Against Chris Brown

The singer Rihanna has been official served with a subpoena to appear in court and testify against her ex-boyfriend singer Chris Brown for the felony assault and making criminal threats case. She will have to answer all of the court's questions truthfully. The hearing is on June 22nd.

Civil Case Against Rapper Snoop Dogg Begins

A civil case against the rapper Snoop Dogg has begun. A man named Richard Monroe Jr. is claiming that he received serious injuries after he joined Snoop Dogg onstage during one of his performances and was beaten and robbed by Snoop Dogg and his entourage in 2005. Monroe is seeking $22 million in damages and punitive penalties. Snoop attended a day of jury selection this past week and a tape of the incident was shown to jurors during statements by Monroe's attorneys.

Singer Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty

On Monday, the singer Chris Brown pleaded not guilty to threatening and physically assaulting his girlfriend, singer Rihanna. Rihanna's lawyer was hoping that a plea deal could be made before the case went to trial and has stated that Rihanna would testify if it is required. If Brown is convicted, he could be sentenced to probation or as much as five years in prison. In March, he was charged by Los Angeles County prosecuters with felony assault likely to cause great bodyily injury and making criminal threats.

Don Cornelius Fights Battery Charges

Don Cornelius, the former host of the show "Soul Train", has pleaded not guilty in court to the charges against him that come from a domestic dispute case against his wife in October. He is currently facing three counts of spousal battery, one count of dissuading a witness from making a police report, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon. His wife has filed two restraining orders against him since the incident.

Rapper Beenie Man Cleared in Tax Evasion Charges

The rapper and singer Beenie Man has been cleared of tax-evasion charges because the government hadn't informed him of his legal rights when auditors issued their assessment last year. He had owed nearly $1 million in overdue taxes but a Jamaican judge threw out the case on Tuesday.

Rapper Kanye West Not Charged in Airport Incident

Prosecutors have decided not to file felony charges against the rapper Kanye West and his manager for an incident in which the camera of a paparazzi was broken. Prosecutors referred the case to the city attorneys and they will decide if West will be charged with a misdemeanor.

West was arrested on September 11th at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of vandalism after he was caught on video struggling with a paparazzi and then breaking his camera on the floor. His manager was also arrested on suspicion of breaking the camera and one that belonged to a TMZ videographer.

Akon Goes to Trial in Fan Tossing Case

The singer Akon will go to trial on criminal charges that he tossed a fan offstage at a concert last summer. He is being accused tossing a teenager off of a stage during a concert in June of 2007 at a minor league baseball stadium near Poughkeepsie. Another woman claimed that she suffered a concussion when the tossed boy landed on her.

Akon is due back in court on December 1st. In December, he pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment.

Actor Health Ledger’s Drug Inquiry Dropped

Federal prosecutors have chosen not to open a criminal case into how the late actor Heath Ledger was able to get the painkillers that contributed to his death earlier this year. Lately, prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan had been overseeing a Drug Enforcement Administration probe into whether the painkillers found in Ledger’s body were obtained illegally. Prosecutors decided not to open a case because they don’t believe that there is anybody to make responsible for his death. The actress Mary-Kate Olsen was Ledger’s close friend and played a part in this decision because she demanded immunity before answering questions about his death and drug use. A case can still be opened if there is evidence of a crime.

DEA investigators suspect that the painkillers found in Ledger’s body were obtained with false prescriptions and illegally in other ways. The painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone were found in his system. Ledger had also taken anti-anxiety mediation and sleeping pills that were legally prescribed by doctors in California and Texas.

Rapper Ja Rule Posts Co-Defendant’s Bail

State Supreme Court Justice Micki Scherer stated in an indictment arraignment that she is troubled that the rapper Ja Rule posted thousands of dollars in bonds for two co-defendants in a gun possession case and she wants them to make their own bail. Ja Rule, Dennis Cherry, and Mohamed Gamal were all indicted on gun possession charges and they all pleaded not guilty.

Ja Rule’s bail is $150,000 bond or cash, Cherry’s bail is $150,000 bond or $75,000 cash, and Gamal’s bail is $20,000 bond or $10,000 cash. Gamal is Ja Rule’s driver and the owner of a limo service. Dennis Cherry is Ja Rule’s road manager. All of the bonds are secured by Ja Rule’s $3.5 million house in Saddle River, N.J. Dennis Cherry and Gamal will now have to pay their own bails.

On July 22, 2007, Ja Rule, Cherry, and Gamal were stopped by police in Manhattan for speeding. The police did a computer check of their luxury car and found that it had no insurance and a suspended registration. Even though Gamal was driving the car, he didn’t own it. When officers approached the car they noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from it. Nobody in the car was charged with possession of marijuana. Police found a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun in the rear driver’s side door.

Amy Winehouse Arrested

Singer Amy Winehouse was arrested this past Tuesday due to suspicion of attempting to interfere with a court case that involves her husband. She was questioned by police and released without charges filed against her. She went to the police station voluntarily at a pre-agreed time. Winehouse was released on bail and ordered to return to a London police station in early March. In London, it is common for someone who is being interviewed by the police to be arrested.

Winehouse’s husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was held in custody in London last month due to charges of “perverting the course of justice” from which he was accused of assaulting a barman this past June. He is also accused of trying to interfere with a witness testimony.

http://www.amywinehouse.co.uk

Charges Against Actor Shia La Beouf Dropped

The Charges against Shia La Beouf by Walgreens for refusing to leave a downtown drugstore were dropped. In a Chicago courtroom prosecutors said that they received a letter from Walgreen CO and a security company saying that they did not want to continue with the case. He was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing after being arrested at the Walgreen store. La Beouf was in the movie “Transformers” and will star in the new movie “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

Rapper P Diddy Won’t Be Charged for Assault

The rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs won’t face any charges in the recent case where he punched a man at a nightclub during a dispute last month. The accuser stopped cooperating with law enforcement and gave different versions of what happened. The accuser originally said that he and Diddy had been arguing over a woman when Diddy punched him in the face.

Kevin Federline Wants Britney Spears to Pay His Legal Fees in Divorce Case

It is reported that Kevin Federline’s lawyer wants Britney Spears to pay for some of her ex-husband’s legal expenses in their divorce case. The attorney says that Federline has no net income after he pays his expenses. He currently gets $20,000 per month in spousal support from Spears and he wants her to pay $50,000 for his legal fees.