Misdemeanors

Around 1 a.m. Sunday morning, a paparazzo was hit and injured by a car carrying the infamous Lindsay Lohan.

The incident – described by police as an “assault with a deadly weapon” – occurred behind the Hotel Café on North Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood.

According to witnesses, a group of paparazzi surrounded the black BMW as Lohan and her assistant got inside the car in the alley behind the club. The driver then stepped on the gas before the group of photographers could move out of the way, hitting one man and injuring his wrist and leg and drove away.

The injured paparazzo was treated at the scene and interviewed by the Los Angeles Police Department after they responded to a “vehicle versus a pedestrian traffic collision” report.

One paparazzo who witnessed the incident said Lohan was in the car with a male assistant and a female assistant, wearing dark sunglasses, was driving. The driver, however, is still unidentified.

No arrests have been made and police are still investigating the circumstances of the accident.

Singer Adam Lambert was also at the club with Lohan and Tweeted, “Hotel Café was wild last night” on Sunday.

Isn’t every night out involving Lindsay Lohan wild?

It’s no surprise to many that Richard and Mayumi Heene – the Colorado couple who said their son was aboard an escaped balloon in October – pleaded guilty to charges.

The parents plead guilty to criminal charges of staging the event in a publicity-seeking hoax after telling authorities their 6-year-old son Falcon was trapped inside a large silver balloon floating over eastern Colorado.

On Oct. 15, millions of people across the U.S. tuned in to watch the scene for almost two hours as military aircraft tracked the floating balloon in the air and rescuers chased it on the ground.  Everyone thought that the little boy was trapped inside floating high in the sky without any way out, when in actuality he was safe in the Heene’s home the entire time.

When asked why he didn’t come out of hiding when his parents were supposedly calling for him, Falcon accidentally admitted it was a hoax saying to his parents, “You guys said that we did it for the show.”

To make sure Mayumi, a Japanese citizen, would not face felony charges that could lead to her deportation, the couple plead guilty to multiple charges as part of a plea deal. Richard plead guilty to the felony of “attempting to influence a public servant” and faces the possible penalty of two to six years in prison and a fine of $2,000 to $500,000. His wife Mayumi plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of “making a false report to authorities” and faces a possible sentence of six months in county jail and a fine of $50 to $750.

According to their lawyers, both are hoping for probation and are scheduled to return to court Dec. 23 for sentencing.

Although the Heenes were attempting to gain positive publicity by staging the incident and getting their 15 minutes of fame, it only brought along negative media attention and serious legal repercussions. Don’t try this at home; especially if your 6-year-old has a big mouth.

To learn more about the potential penalties relating to various felonies and misdemeanors in Colorado, take a look at the the list of Colorado Penalties for a variety of criminal charges.

NY Realtor, Linda Stein of Prudential Douglas Elliman Murdered

NY Murder Case of Linda Stein and Criminal Defense of Natavia Lowery

It’s been two years since NY realtor, Linda Stein, famous real estate broker in New York City, was bludgeoned to death in her Fifth Avenue apartment in NYC. Realtor Stein’s bizarre death has come back into news of crimes in NYC due to her assailant’s upcoming court date in October 2009.

Linda Stein was said to be obnoxious, loud, and showy. Her insolence, however, was part of her charm. Stein was a realtor for celebrities such as Bruce Willis, Madonna, Billy Joel, Angelina Jolie, Steven Spielberg, and Sting. Her home sales weren’t limited to NYC. She sold homes around the world with her highest real estate transaction at $30 million.

NY Criminal Defense Law

The criminal murder case of Linda Stein could be written for an episode of the popular television crime show, Law & Order. The NYC realtor to the rich and famous was killed by a whack in the head by her personal assistant, Natavia Lowery. Lowery admitted to the crime during a taped confession with the NYC prosecutor’s office. Maybe Lowery didn’t know that whatever you say to the police during a murder investigation is evidence that is admissible in court. I read a report today that said Lowery’s defense attorneys were having a handwriting analysis done to ensure it was Lowery that signed her confession and that it wasn’t a forgery.

The Murder Crime in NYC

On the fateful day of her death, Stein was on her telephone negotiating a real estate transaction. Lowery was with her, getting fed up with Stein blowing marijuana in her face and yelling racial slurs. According to a marijuana legalization group, marijuana possession is still a violation of New York Penal Code §220. Maybe Stein didn’t know that possession of pot is a violation and is considered a misdemeanor. Stein was known to yell racial remarks not at Lowery but in front of her. It is illegal also for an employer to speak in discriminatory tones in the workplace and a violation of civil rights.

During Lowery’s confession, she said she was fed up with Stein and snapped. She took Stein’s Pilates stick and hit her once in the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. She tried speaking to Lowery and although Stein’s eyes were closed, proceeded to assault her about five more times. Lowery said she wasn’t herself at the time of the crime.

October is right around the corner. Hopefully Lowery will work up a better criminal defense strategy with her criminal lawyer other than a handwriting analysis and claiming she wasn’t herself.