Paris Hilton’s legal pickle becomes a public relations disaster

It all started when Paris Hilton’s black Cadillac Escalade was stopped by a motorcycle cop due to what the cop said was a strong marijuana smell.

The driver of the car was Paris Hilton's (now ex-)boyfriend Cy Waits. Paris left the scene (not a smart move), leaving behind a Chanel purse that held cocaine, turning it into a felony possession and fled to the Wynn Resort where she was arrested.

When the heiress was waiting in the Wynn Hotel security holding room for a female officer to arrive to take her to the bathroom, she said that she needed to put some lip balm on.

The officer handed her the purse from the table. As she began to open it, the officer saw a small bundle of what he believed to be cocaine in a clear baggy begin to fall from the purse and into his hand. The officer then took the purse away from Hilton and waited for backup to arrive before searching it with another officer as a witness.

After discovering the cocaine, the officer placed Hilton under arrest. Following her arrest, the officer claimed Hilton told him the purse was not hers and "she had borrowed it from a friend."
But our Paris had posted a picture of the very similar bag on Twitter, happily tweeting, "Love My New Chanel Purse I Got Today :)." Oops!

Furthermore, when asked about the cocaine, Party Barbie told LVMPD finest in a sublime dumb blond moment, that she thought the cocaine that they had found was "gum."

The Wynn was not amused and has distanced itself from the clueless heiress. Wynn spokeswoman Jennifer Dunne told the Associated Press that Hilton (handbag included) and her boyfriends are banned from entering or staying at the Wynn Resort Hotels in Las Vegas. Paris' then-boyfriend, Cy Waits has been "separated" (nice word for being fired on the spot) from his job as managing partner of the Tryst Nightclub at Wynn and XS The Nightclub at Encore.

Quite correctly so - Waits worked as a nightclub executive and Nevada gaming license requirements are very strict on the presence of drugs with casino honchos.

Party girl Paris will always have a roof over her hair weaved-head in Sin City - Las Vegas Hilton spokesman Ken Ciancimino told People: "She has been a guest here many, many times and we would always welcome her back. The history between Paris and this property is long, indeed... we here at the Hilton certainly wish Paris the best and hope that she gets through any and all of her difficult times."

She could face up to four years in a Nevada prison if convicted of the felony charge of possessing 0.8 grams of "powder cocaine", providing prosecutors can prove that it was Hilton's purse and that the marijuana smell came from her vehicle. If not, she would be sentenced to a diversion program.

No matter how it will work out for Ms. H, her pay-to-party days in Las Vegas are over. In Nevada, liquor licenses are closely watched by gambling regulators. Recently, the Gaming Control Board shut down a Las Vegas nightclub because of several infractions, including drugs allegedly being used on the premises.

In the case of P.H., what happens in Las Vegas, stays in cyberspace….

(image courtesy of lastreetsblog)

Marrying up and cheating down

According to a Pew Foundation report, more women today are marrying men with less education and less income than they themselves have. The New York Times article on the Pew report reads like a trend piece, which is quite disappointing. The women's blog Jezebel also found the article same old-same old "the single, high earning professional female who can't find a man."

But ladies, be careful what you wish for – men who marry up have a tendency to cheat down. Just look at Tiger Woods, who married a Swedish model and cheated with a slew of quite unattractive women who you can not take home to meet Mom. The most outspoken one of the gaggle, Joslyn James aka Veronica Siwik-Daniels is an adult movie actress.

And then there is Jesse James who shares his name with a famous outlaw and his body with a weird chick. This bike builder married up when he got hitched with Sandra Bullock. His paramour is a heavily tattooed stripper, who happily announced that she conducted the affair out of boredom. Funny, most of us read, watch TV, rent a movie or phone a friend when we are bored (or write a blog!). But then, what can one expect from a person that poses in Nazi gear and has the initials WP (White Power) tattooed on the back of the legs. Well, it fits in nicely with JJ’s own pic as shown on the cover of Us Weekly. BTW, whoever dubbed that chick “bombshell” McGee needs glasses (and better taste in women)

The trend of cheating down is not limited to the US only. In Sweden, Princess Madeleine (not exactly an eyesore) was cheated on by her lawyer fiancé Jonas Bergstrom. His one-night stand was an average looking student who obviously needs to visit her dentist for some serious dental work.

To complete the circle, let’s look at David Boreanaz of “Angel” and “Bones” fame. He is married to Playboy model Jaime Bergman for almost nine years and the couple has two kids. His mistresses included Rachel Uchitel, who also bedded Tiger Woods. Ah, the mind boggles!

Personally, I don’t get it. If these guys want to cheat, go to Las Vegas. We all know that what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas. The easiest and honorable way, of course, is to stay faithful.

But in all this mess, one person is laughing all the way to the bank - Gloria Allred, who represents several mistresses of Woods and Boreanaz. Mmm, I obviously chose the wrong specialty in law school……

Salinger 'Catcher' Case Returned to Federal Judge by US Appeals Court

J.D. Salinger published “Catcher in the Rye” in 1951. The coming-of-age novel was on the New York Times' best-seller list for more than seven months and has sold more than 35 million copies. Salinger, who died in January at 91, hadn't published since 1965.

Author Fredrik Colting penned under the name John David California the novel “60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye”. It was published last year in England by Windupbird Publishing Ltd.

In July 2009, U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts blocked Colting and is publisher from publishing the novel. The injunction prevented the book's scheduled U.S. release in September 2009, court papers state.

The plaintiffs in the case are Colleen Salinger, the author's widow, and Matthew Salinger, his son. Salinger claimed in the suit that there are "extensive similarities" between "Catcher" and "60 Years Later." Colting's novel features a 76-year-old character similar to Holden Caulfield, the fictional narrator of "Catcher," who meets the 90-year-old author who created him, according to court papers. He "never authorized any new narrative involving Holden or any work derivative of 'Catcher,'" according to court filings.

In appeal, a U.S. appeals court panel ordered federal judge Batts to revisit the legal basis for her decision. Sending the case back to her, the judges said the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in EBay Inc.'s patent-infringement case against MercExchange LLC was the standard to be used.

The court in the Ebay case ruled, that a plaintiff had to show the likelihood of irreparable harm to get an injunction, not just the probability of succeeding on the question of infringement.

"Although we conclude that the district court properly determined that Salinger has a likelihood of success on the merits, we vacate the district court's order," Judges Guido Calabresi, Jose Alberto Cabranes and Peter Hall said in a filing in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. "EBay applies with equal force to preliminary injunctions that are issued for alleged copyright infringement," the court said.

Salinger’s lawyer, Marcia Beth Paul of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, reacted by stating: “We are heartened that the appellate court agrees that Mr. Salinger's literary trust is likely to prevail on the merits of his claim and that this book infringes his copyright. The damage that will be caused by publication of this unauthorized sequel cannot be made whole by money.”

Edward Rosenthal of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC, representing Colting, said that he is confident that when the district court applies the legal standard required by the appeals court, the book will be permitted to be published.

The appeals case is Salinger v. Colting, Windupbird Publishing Ltd., 09-2878, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (Manhattan).

The lower-court case is Salinger v. Colting, 09- 5095, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

The front fell off – the viral power of satire

My friend Sandra of ITPR sent me a hilarious clip of an Australian “Saturday Night Live” like Australian show. The clip is remarkable in various ways. For one, it’s brilliant, resembling Monty Python sketches. For another, it shows the worldwide exposure a clip gets once it goes viral.

The sketch is a mock interview between comedians John Clarke and Bryan Dawe.
It concerns an off-shore oil spill in 1991, when the Greek tanker Kirki lost its bow off the coast of Western Australia (WA). During the incident and the subsequent tow of the tanker to a safe haven some 17,280 tons of light crude oil was lost.

Clarke portrays Minister for Shipping Bob Collins, and makes repeated references to the ship whose "front fell off."

The sad thing is, that due to the way politicians worldwide handle crises like these, many thought that it was the real deal.

Still, there are some lessons we can learn from this interview.

1. Tankers are not made from cardboard, paper or rubber, and are not held together with string or Sellotape. No news if duct tape could do the trick though or some serious stapling.
   
2. There is something called “beyond the environment”. Before you pooh-pooh this, it’s a clever legal concept. Just think about it: how can you be liable or being sued if you operate in the fifth dimension? Just boldly go where no Greenpeace ship has gone before, I say!
   
3. For all you environmental warriors: “ocean+fish+birds” does not equal “environment” when crude oil is added. Therefore, no protection is needed; just ask Sarah Palin if you don’t believe me. Hurray for off-shore drilling!
   
4. A tanker has a crew of at least one person. If such a crew is French, this person will be a chef, and when Greek, he will be obviously clueless (re. Kirki).
   
5. There is chance of 1 in a million that a wave hits a ship at sea. That must reassure all you landlubbers!

The Bling Ring Gang - rich brats gone bad

It reads like a Scott Fitzgerald novella – the antics of the Bling Ring Gang.

A group of teenagers has been burglarizing the homes of Hollywood celebrities. Victims included Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson, Audrina Patridge, and Orlando Bloom. The loot included more than $3 million in designer clothing and jewelry, including shoes, handbags, makeup, perfume, and underwear from designer labels Chanel, Gucci, Tiffany, Cartier, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, and Yves Saint Laurent.

They made sure that their victims were not at home, using information from celebrity websites such as TMZ. The exact locations of the stars’ homes were found on Google Maps and celebrityaddressaerial.com.

They were caught in November 2009 after CCTV footage from a break-in at Lindsay Lohan's home was made public. Police followed up on received information from someone who said she overheard Lee and Prugo bragging of their exploits at a party. Cops then used Facebook to ascertain that Lee and Prugo were indeed “friends” with each other. Hurray for social networks!

Their first victim was socialite Paris Hilton – according to gang member Nick Prugo because they considered her 'dumb'. They found that she left the front door key of her 7,000sq ft Hollywood Hills home under a doormat, so it seems that they were right on the money. Hilton didn't realize she had been robbed until two months later when another raid on the house netted the thieves close to $2 million worth of jewelry and other valuables stuffed in one of her Louis Vuitton tote bags.

In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, Prugo also claimed that they found five grams of cocaine in the house which they also took. (Dawn Miller, a spokesperson for Paris Hilton promptly denied there were drugs in her home, stating “I don't know why anyone would listen to allegations made by a self-confessed thief.”)

According to prosecutors in Los Angeles, the gang was obsessed with the celebrities. Some of the stolen items were sold for cash, while other items were kept as trophies. Prugo blamed peer pressure for the raids during his appearance on U.S. TV show Good Morning America. The bad kid on the affluent block went on saying: 'There was a definite thrill to it. I don't think any of us realized how severe it was until we actually got caught. It didn't seem as bad as it was. Now that I look back I realize how serious it was. Looking back, it scares me to death.'

Mmmm, I think pretty boy realized what prison would do to him (if you get my drift).

Prugo is facing up to six years in jail on each of the burglary charges. He apologized to his victims while denying the charges. Obviously, the kid is no legal eagle in the making.

But in a delicious “cherchez la femme” twist, it seems that 18-year old Rachel Lee was the brains behind the heists, being obsessed with the fashion of the celebrities and wanting to wear what they wore. Other gang members were Courtney Ames and Alexis Neiers, both 18, Diana Tamayo, 19, and Roy Lopez Jr, a 27-year old nightclub bouncer. Their “fence” was Jonathan Ajar a.k.a. “Johnny Dangerous,” a thuggish ex-con and promoter at Les Deux who would allegedly get Prugo and his under-age friends into the club. The cast of characters couldn’t be more colorful. Courtney Ames is the girlfriend of Ajar. Her stepfather is famed welterweight Randy Shields. Alexis Neiers has her own reality show on E! entertainment. Diana Tamayo is an illegal Mexican immigrant as well as president of the class of 2008 at Indian Hills High School in Agoura Hills, California.

What made those rich brats turn to crime? Boredom? Since Scott Fitzgerald is not around to use them as inspiration, I am pretty sure that several TV movies will be made. Hopefully Ms. Neiers will serve some serious time and will not be able to act in one. Let's hope that being white and rich doesn't translate into a slap on the wrist. With prisons being overpopulated, these crime junkies will quite likely only spend a few months in jail....

PETA is at it again

PETA is not high on my list of favorites – I do not appreciate any individual or organization that enforces its principles by damaging or destroying property, persons and reputations. PETA, which does not stand for "People Eating Tasty Animals", used Mrs. Obama’s image in a new ad. PETA states that the first lady has committed to not wearing fur and "the world should know that in PETA's eyes that makes her pretty fabulous." The anti-fur poster features an image of the U.S. First Lady along with presenter Oprah Winfrey, singer Carrie Underwood and supermodel Tyra Banks, under the slogan 'fur-free and fabulous!' They used Mrs. Obama’s image from her first official White House portrait, taken in February last year.

Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA, confirmed that PETA had not asked for Mrs. Obama's permission to use the portrait, since they knew the First Lady could not officially endorse an anti-fur campaign advert. PETA also insisted, that they used her image in its Washington advertising campaign based on White House confirmation that she does not wear fur. The new adverts featuring Mrs. Obama appeared in Washington's Metro stations, magazines and PETA's website.

PETA, so concerned with our furry friends, doesn’t care about infringing on copyright, using all images without permission.In the ad, Tyra Banks looks like the love child of a Bratz doll and a dolphin. Her armpit shot is unflattering to say the least. Since Tyra is known to be “fierce” and her voodoo dolls obviously work (considering Oprah quitting the TV host scene), I would be worried as a PETA employee/associate/member…..very worried!

You would think that PETA would contribute to the disaster that hit Haiti – if not for the poor people (going from being slaves, to being French, to becoming the latest victims of a devastating nature disaster – how cruel can life be?), at least of the wild life of the island. But no…PETA keeps quiet as a mouse, apart from awarding Cameron a certificate for Avatar (go figure!)

Maybe PETA should realize that humans are mammals too…

Google's Chinese Troubles

Google finds itself in hot water again – this time from a Chinese novelist. Mian Mian, a counterculture writer known for her lurid tales of sex, drugs and nightlife, has filed a lawsuit against Google for scanning her latest novel "Acid House" without permission and putting it in its online library. Mian Mian is quite a colorful character. Based in Shanghai, she shot to fame in 2000 when she published the novel "Candy," which caused a stir with its graphic depiction of heroin use. Most of her work is banned in China, though pirated copies are widely available. “Candy” is translated into English and widely available for purchase online.

At the court session, which consisted of a two-hour hearing, a Beijing judge told the two sides to hold talks on a settlement. Mian Mian is seeking damages of 61,000 yuan ($8,950) and a public apology.

A Google spokeswoman in Beijing, Marsha Wang, said the company removed Mian Mian's works from its library as soon as it learned of the lawsuit, adding that Google had no further comment on the suit or Tuesday's hearing. She added that Mian Mian's lawsuit was the first that she knew of in China over the scanning plan. Since Google removed Mian Mian's works, she sees the matter as closes.

Mian Mian’s lawyer stated that a negotiated settlement was a possibility and the court set no deadline, adding: "we think even if they remove Mian Mian's work, their previous behavior is a violation of her rights. We demand a public apology."

This is the latest snag in Google's efforts to crate an online library, where printed works are available online. Previously, Google was under attack from writers in the United States and Europe (among others). Google reportedly has already scanned more than 10 million books, many of them still under copyright. Google negotiated a $125 million settlement last year with American authors and publishers, and it trying to avoid potential copyright infringement in Europe by only books scanning books over 150 years old. The European Commission said in October 2009 that it might change copyright law to make it easier for companies such as Google to scan books and distribute copies over the Internet.

In China, the China Written Works Copyright Society (a government-affiliated group) is taking on Google and negotiating compensation for Chinese authors whose work is scanned into its library. Mian Mian however, doesn have any connection to the Chinese writers' group. Commenting on Mian Mian's lawsuit, the group called on Chinese writers to band together to negotiate terms with Google instead of suing. It said it is due to hold settlement talks with the company in January. According to the group, Google has scanned more than 80,000 works by Chinese authors into the library.

It will be interesting to see how the Google’s Chinese troubles will pan out….