A jury has ruled that the Los Angeles Unified School District must pay $6.9 million to a boy molested by his elementary school teacher. The award Tuesday is among the largest for a single victim in the history of the district, and comes as it seeks to settle s ex abuse suits involving nearly 200 plaintiffs stemming from high-profile allegations against a teacher at Miramonte Elementary School. The Los Angeles Times reports the jury found the district liable for the 2008 molestation by teacher
Amanda Bynes has reached financial settlements with both of her hit-and-run victims from earlier this year, and the L.A. City Attorney’s office is far from pleased. As you surely heard, the troubled star was charged with two counts of hit-and-run stemming from separate 2012 in which she hit other people’s cars, then bailed. Bynes has since struck a financial deal with both sets of victims, however, and her attorney then convinced a judge to throw out the criminal charges against her. The decision infuriated the L.A. City Attorney’s Office, to put it mildly. Prosecutors strongly objected based on the fact that there were multiple incidents – and Amanda Bynes’ DUI arrest , a case that’s still pending – but were rebuffed. Speaking of the DUI case, the District Attorney’s Office is still moving forward with that case, and it’s scheduled to go in front of the judge next month. Don’t expect prosecutors to go easy on her.
For many in the DMV, this is definitely something to celebrate! From crack in the 80′s to being dubbed “the Murder Capital of the U.S.” in the 90′s, Washington, DC has gone from roughly 500 homicides annually to less than 100 this year. That’s something that hasn’t been done since 1963!! According to ABC News , the decline in numbers has been lowering each year: The crack epidemic that began in the 1980s ushered in a wave of bloodletting in the nation’s capital and a death toll that ticked upward daily. Dead bodies, sometimes several a night, had homicide detectives hustling between crime scenes and earned Washington unwelcome monikers such as the nation’s “murder capital.” At the time, some feared the murder rate might ascend to more frightening heights. But after approaching nearly 500 slayings a year in the early 1990s, the annual rate has gradually declined to the point that the city is now on the verge of a once-unthinkable milestone. The number of 2012 killings in the District of Columbia stands at 78 and is on pace to finish lower than 100 for the first time since 1963, police records show. “It strikes me probably daily as I ride around the city, or sometimes when I’m sitting at home at night, and it’s 10 o’clock and my phone’s not ringing. Or I get up in the morning, and I go, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve slept five hours,” said Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who joined the department amid violent 1991 street riots. “It strikes me quite often how different things are now.” The drop reflects a downward trend in violent crime nationwide and is in line with declining homicides in other big cities. Though killings have risen in Chicago, New York City officials say homicides dropped to 515 last year from more than 2,200 in 1990. Houston reported 198 homicides last year, down from 457 in 1985, while Los Angeles police reported fewer than 300 last year after ending 1992 with about 1,100. Across the country, violent crime reported by police to the FBI fell by 3.8 percent last year from 2010. Though D.C. is hardly crime-free today, and crime in some categories is even up, the homicide decline is especially notable in a place where grisly acts of violence — sometimes not far from the U.S. Capitol — embodied the worst of the crack scourge. The number of homicides in this city of about 600,000 residents averaged about 457 between 1989 and 1993, a staggering rate that attracted unwanted attention. “A war zone? No, Washington, D.C.,” was the sub-headline of a 1992 People magazine story that described Washington as a “city under siege.” The Economist in 1995 called it “the violence capital of America.” Tony Patterson, a longtime homicide detective, recalled one eight-hour shift when every detective on his squad landed a homicide investigation. Drive-by shootings with multiple victims were common, as were witnesses who’d see something — but say nothing. Officials say renovations, the Nationals MLB stadium, and of course…gentrification, have all contributed to the low numbers. Images via tumblr
Let The Hunger Games begin again! Next November, that is. With over a year to go until Katniss and company return for Catching Fire , Lionsgate has gone ahead and revealed the final new cast members for this wildly anticipated sequel in one joint announcement. Who will be joining new additions such as Sam Claflin and Alan Ritchson ? None of them will be feature players, but here’s a look at other Tributes we’ll meet in Catching Fire : James Logan – District 5 Tribute Boy Ivette Li-Sanchez -District 5 Tribute Girl Justin Hix – District 6 Tribute Boy Megan Hayes – District 6 Tribute Girl Bobby Jordan – Blight John Casino – Woof Elena Sanchez – Cecelia Daniel Bernhardt – District 9 Tribute Boy Marian Greene – District 9 Tribute Girl Jackson Spidell – District 10 Tribute Boy Tiffany Waxler – District 10 Tribute Girl Take note: for all your movie news , bookmark our friends at Movie Fanatic!
Brad Pitt assured fans Thursday that he is planning on marrying Angelina Jolie … even while offering no details on when and where it will take place. In London to promote his new film Killing Them Softly , the 48-year-old star gamely fielded questions about wedding plans with his gorgeous fiancee. “No plans yet, other than we are going to do it ,” Pitt said, adding that despite his steadfast desire to marry her, “I plan very little as I get older.” Insiders say Pitt and Jolie’s nuptials will be a “simple, joyous gathering” with a tiny guest list, and that means no celebrities overshadowing the affair. While Pitt and Jolie, 37, live at France’s Chateau Miraval, the wedding rumors followed them to England this summer as she shoots Maleficent . “It’s been a great summer here,” Pitt said of life in the UK at Thursday’s event. “It’s just been a great spirited summer with all the sporting events.” “It’s one of the most pleasurable times I’ve ever had here. We’ve been hanging out just having a normal life while Mama works,” he added. [Photo: WENN.com]
Welcome to the Arena, Jeffrey Wright. In the latest piece of Catching Fire casting news, the veteran actor has signed on for this Hunger Games sequel as Beetee, the District 3 Male Tribute earns the nickname “Volts” due to his electronics expertise. A Tony Award winner, Wright joins an impressive cast that is led by returning stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Jush Hutcherson. Newbies in the franchise, whose follow-up comes out on November 22, 2013, include: Sam Claflin , Stephanie Leigh Schlund, Maria Howell, Alan Ritchson, Amanda Plummer and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. [Photo: WENN.com]
‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ actor lands the pivotal role of District 4’s dreamiest Hunger Games winner. By Josh Wigler Sam Claflin Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
Forget the trouble with girls. Scotty McCreery had some trouble with a concert stage on August 10. The American Idol singer took a tumble last night during a show in Bethel, New York, opening for Brad Paisley and falling off the stage around the 8:14 mark of the following video:
Another day, another Catching Fire role cast. Stephanie Leigh Schlund – a little known actress who appeared with Miley Cyrus in The Last Song – has signed on for the character of Cashmere, the District 1 Tribute serves as a the foil for Katniss in the Quarter Quell, teaming with her brother Gloss ( Alan Ritchson ), both of whom won previous Hunger Games. In consecutive years, no less. With director Francis Lawrence behind the camera, Catching Fire begins production this fall. It will create lines down the block of every theater in America starting on November 22, 2013.
Atlanta Pimp Sentenced To Life For Abuse And Exploitation Of Teen Runaway Looks like this time it’s pimps down – hoes up! A 30-year-old Atlanta man was sentenced to life in prison Monday after being convicted of charges related to sexually abusing and pimping a teenage runaway, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office announced. A jury found David Pepe guilty of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, pimping, aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Pepe sexually abused a 14-year-old who he forced into prostitution within three days of meeting her in April 2009, prosecutors said. The defendant had sex with the teen, took her to pick up customers, took half of the money they paid her and later said he deserved all the money, according to information presented in court. Text messages that the teen sent to her mother were forwarded to law enforcement authorities, who returned the teen to her family. Pepe was caught during a traffic stop in Cobb County. The case was the first to be prosecuted by the District Attorney’s human trafficking unit, which was funded by a 2011 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, authorities said. SMH at this guy… Having sex with a 14-year-old and then prostituting her out! He’s definitely getting what he deserves. Guess now he’s gonna see how it feels to be sexually abused. Source
