Gary V. Giordano#39;s lawyer, Michael Lopez, said the 16-day extension was granted because the judge felt, “there are too many open questions as of yet.” On Sunday, nearly two weeks after Gardner, 35, went missing, Lopez pleaded for the release of his client, arguing that authorities don#39;t have “hard proof” to believe he was responsible for Gardner#39;s disappearance. Gary V. Giordano will remain detained in Aruba. While authorities continue to investigate his suspected involvement in the
Chicago-based singer Rebecca Francescatti claims Gaga’s song is similar to a song she recorded in 1999 called ‘Juda.’ By Kara Warner Lady Gaga Photo: Michael Loccisano/ Getty Images Relatively unknown Chicago-based singer Rebecca Francescatti has filed a lawsuit against Lady Gaga for alleged copyright infringement on her hit single “Judas.” According to TMZ , Francescatti claims that “Juda,” a song she recorded in 1999 with her band Rebecca F. & the Memes, has multiple similarities with Gaga’s track, chief among them the fact that Francescatti’s former bass player Brian Gaynor is now employed by a music company that wrote 17 songs for Gaga’s Born This Way album. NBC Chicago reported that Gaynor was open with Francescatti and admitted that he was writing for and working with Gaga. Francescatti’s lawyer, Chris Niro, told TMZ that his client is seeking proper recognition for her original work. “Though the songs are different styles, the composition is the same and the chorus is the same melody,” he told the site. “[Rebecca] is seeking recognition for what she created.” By “recognition,” Francescatti means money she believes is owed to her. In the lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by the Huffington Post , Francescatti names Gaga, Interscope Records, Universal Music Group, DJ White Shadow and sound engineer Brian Joseph Gaynor as participants in creating the single “Judas,” a song that bears “a substantial similarity” to “Juda” in that Gaga allegedly “copied and incorporated substantial, original portions” of the work, though it was previously copyrighted and recorded with Gaynor. Francescatti is reportedly seeking a cut from the profits “Judas” has earned. Do you think the two songs are similar? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists Lady Gaga
Earlier this week, Casey Anthony temporarily avoided a hearing regarding the terms of her probation stemming from a Florida check fraud conviction. Judge Belvin Perry said he’d need more time to consider the facts before ruling on whether Casey must return home to serve probation in that case. “I’ll be the first to admit this is not a very clear cut issue … you’ve given me a lot to think about,” Perry said, calling it “a legal maze” and “a mess”. Anthony who was acquitted last month in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, is believed to be in Ohio and didn’t attend the hearing. Her attorneys argue that she should not be required to return because of safety concerns, and because she served the probation behind bars. It’s as confusing as it sounds, if not more so. On January 25, 2010, Anthony was given probation by Judge Stan Strickland after she’d pleaded guilty to charges she stole checks from a friend. The confusion set in as Florida’s Department of Corrections thought Anthony could serve the probation while in custody awaiting her murder trial. Strickland said last week he wanted Anthony to serve the probation after the sentence, not during. Last week, Perry said he’d wanted the same. However, Department of Corrections probation supervisor Susan Finigan testified that proper procedures were practiced in Anthony’s case. Finigan added that while it’s not the usual arrangement to have someone in custody serving their probation, “It does happen on occasion.” The Department of Corrections therefore deemed that Anthony’s probation was concluded on January 24, long before her murder acquittal . Anthony’s legal team claimed their client’s life would be in grave danger if the state forces her to serve a year’s probation for check fraud. “This thing is over and done,” her Florida-based lawyer, Jose Baez, said. “And for some reason things seem to keep coming up again.” Judge Perry did not say when he would announce his ruling.
Most people disagree with the jury’s verdict and think Casey Anthony should still be behind bars. For her own safety and stability, maybe she should be. The 25-year-old may be a free woman, but feels anything but, given the psychological trauma she’s already suffered and the challenges she faces now. “Her life is going to be very difficult for a very long time,” attorney Cheney Mason said Monday regarding his client, whose whereabouts are unknown. Her release from jail Sunday gives you an idea of what he means: Casey Anthony Heckled Outside Jail “As long as there are so many of the lynch-mob mentality, willing to deny that the jury found her not guilty, she’s going to have issues,” Mason added . And there are quite a few. Entire Facebook groups are dedicated to finding (” Where Is Casey Anthony “) and eviscerating “I Hate Casey Anthony”) her. But her lawyer says the hounding from the public, which has reacted with nothing short of vitriol since her July 5 acquittal, is only part of her troubles. Casey hasn’t gotten over the loss of Caylee, “and probably never will,” Mason said, to say noting of her being “locked up in a cage” for three years. While convicted of four counts of lying to officials, Casey had been in jail for nearly 1,000 days, or close to what would have been a full sentence. She was therefore set free, but not of the demons internally. “This is very psychologically expensive for a human being, and she will take a while to adjust,” Mason said, adding that “a lot of plans had to be made” to keep her whereabouts a secret amid constant death threats . “She’s gone,” was all he would say. “She’s safe.”
Rapper was also hit with felony possession of an assault weapon charge, following alleged altercation in June. By Gil Kaufman Tone Loc Photo: Todd Williamson/ Getty Images “Wild Thing” rapper Tone Loc was in a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday, where the 45-year-old MC (born Anthony Smith) pleaded not guilty to felony possession of an assault weapon and domestic violence charges. Loc was arrested last month for suspicion of felony domestic violence following an alleged altercation with the mother of one of his children. According to TMZ , police found an unregistered military-grade assault rifle, a semi-automatic Colt AR-15 Sporter, during their investigation into the incident on June 18. He is slated to return to court in the case on July 28. Last December, Loc was arrested for DUI, but his manager told TMZ that his client does not drink and it was a seizure that caused him to drive erratically. Best known for his gravelly voice and laid-back attitude, Loc had two best-selling singles from his 1989 debut, Loc-ed After Dark, which was followed by the less-successful 1991 disc Cool Hand Loc. After his music career cooled off, the rapper used his unmistakable voice to launch a second career as a voice-over actor and sometime movie actor, appearing in films such as “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane” and “Posse.” He’s also lent his voice to the movies “FernGully: The Last Rainforest,” “A Cool Like That Christmas” and “Titan A.E.,” as well as the TV shows “King of the Hill” and “C-Bear and Jamal.”
Bruce Beresford-Redman, the former TV producer accused of killing his wife outside a resort in Cancun, has been ordered back to Quintana Roo, Mexico to stand trial on charges of aggravated homicide. The incident took place in November, when the body of Bruce’s wife, Monica, washed up in a sewer system near the hotel where she had been staying with her family. The cause of death was asphyxiation. Bruce’s attorneys claimed the police were too quick to charge their client and lacked any physical evidence. But United States prosecutors say fellow guests heard screams emanating from the couple’s room and that detectives subsequent discovered blood spatter in the bathroom and in other areas of the room. The ex- Survivor producer has been behind bars in Los Angeles, but will soon be moved to Mexico. He faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
Bruce Beresford-Redman, the former TV producer accused of killing his wife outside a resort in Cancun, has been ordered back to Quintana Roo, Mexico to stand trial on charges of aggravated homicide. The incident took place in November, when the body of Bruce’s wife, Monica, washed up in a sewer system near the hotel where she had been staying with her family. The cause of death was asphyxiation. Bruce’s attorneys claimed the police were too quick to charge their client and lacked any physical evidence. But United States prosecutors say fellow guests heard screams emanating from the couple’s room and that detectives subsequent discovered blood spatter in the bathroom and in other areas of the room. The ex- Survivor producer has been behind bars in Los Angeles, but will soon be moved to Mexico. He faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
Singer/actor wants to bring new talent to the site he now co-owns, manager says. By Gil Kaufman Justin Timberlake Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images Now that he’s bought a chunk of recently sold MySpace, Justin Timberlake is eager to get his hands dirty relaunching the once-powerful social networking destination. According to Timberlake’s longtime manager, the singer-turned-actor has got plenty of ideas about how to get MySpace back on track as a destination for music fans, including finding new talent. Manager Johnny Wright said that using the site to find the next great singer or group is just one of the concepts that got kicked around during the frantic two weeks of negotiations that went on before Specific Media’s deal with Timberlake to buy MySpace from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. was announced last week. “Whether it becomes a talent competition or something like that, those are things that we will still flesh out,” Wright said, according to The Associated Press. “We definitely want to bring the industry back to MySpace to really look at the talented people that have put their faces there.” More detailed plans for how Timberlake and the site’s new managers will run Myspace are expected at an August 17 press conference. California-based Specific Media paid $35 million for MySpace last week in a mostly stock deal that came six years after Murdoch’s News Corp. outbid a number of other media giants to purchase the then-hot site for $580 million. In the ensuing years, MySpace cooled off as new rivals such as Facebook took off. Hours after Specific announced its deal to buy MySpace, it issued a press release touting Timberlake’s status as a part owner and creative force, noting that he will have his own office and staff. Given Timberlake’s role as the founder of Napster in the hit Facebook movie “The Social Network,” his involvement in the project quickly became a global headline. And, according to reports, that partnership wasn’t even sealed until just 30 minutes before Specific Media’s MySpace purchase was made public. While Wright didn’t offer any details on what form the talent show might take, the manager who has handled the singer since his ‘NSYNC days said his client is eager to get things going. The day after the deal closed, Wright said he got an email from an anxious Timberlake that read, “Are you up? My mind is going dizzy with ideas. I need to talk.” Related Artists Justin Timberlake
Hip-hop manager vows to fight federal drug charges after his arrest on Tuesday. By Rob Markman James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond (file) Photo: Soul Brother/FilmMagic James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond is not backing down from the federal drug charges he’s facing. After his arrest on Tuesday, the hip-hop manager, who once counted Game as a client, pleaded not guilty to witness tampering, obstruction of justice and intentionally conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, The Wall Street Journal reported. The not guilty plea came as expected. In an interview with MTV News on Tuesday, Rosemond’s attorney, Jeffery Lichtman, said his client was ready to take on the Feds. “These charges obviously aren’t surprising, we’ve been anticipating them for years now,” he said. “But they’re built on the backs of people that have lied and cheated, have been threatened, have been bribed by the government. Anything to get Jimmy Rosemond, but all of this is going to be exposed. We’ve been waiting a long time for our day in court — we finally have it.” Rosemond has been on the lam since warrants were issued for his arrest on May 17. On Tuesday afternoon, Henchman was arrested after he led US Marshals and DEA agents on a foot chase across several Manhattan blocks before he was apprehended on 21st Street and Park Avenue South. A complaint obtained by MTV News from the DEA revealed detailed accounts of a bi-coastal drug-trafficking operation that the government alleges Rosemond headed. The complaint was built with the help of incarcerated members of Rosemond’s supposed drug-ring who are now cooperating with the government in hopes of receiving a reduced sentence. The complaint also suggests that Henchman ran the operation, shipping cocaine and cash through express mail couriers, using his company Czar Entertainment as a front. The document is filled with transcripts of recorded phone conversations, intercepted emails and informant accounts charging that Rosemond converted drug proceeds into postal money orders in an intricate scheme to legitimize the funds. Last week, Henchman’s name came up in connection with two other crimes. Dexter Isaac, an inmate who is also believed to be cooperating with the government against Rosemond, admitted to his involvement in the 1994 Quad Studio robbery and shooting of Tupac Shakur . Isaac claims that he was paid $2,500 by Henchman to undertake the heist. As that news broke, the Smoking Gun reported that two men tied to Rosemond have been charged with the 2009 murder of known G-Unit associate Lowell “Lodi Mack” Fletcher. Through it all, Lichtman maintains his client’s innocence, pointing out that much of the government’s evidence is centered on the accounts of known criminals looking to get a break. “When you got witnesses like that against you, it can make anybody paranoid and believe that they won’t be getting a fair trial,” Lichtman said. “When the case starts, we’ll be ready to go.” Check back with MTV News for updates as this story continues to develop.
It has come to this for Anthony Weiner: a former porn star has suggested he resign, implying he’s a sexual deviant who sent lewd messages to a woman who never asked for them. Earlier today, reporters gathered for a press conference in which Ginger Lee once again said Weiner encouraged her to help him cover it his Twitter scandal . Ginger Lee Press Conference “He asked me to lie about our communication,” Lee said, with Gloria Allred by her side. “I think that Anthony Weiner should resign because he lied to the public and the press for more than a week.” Lee claims she never sexted Weiner and never reciprocated when he sent such Tweets as “My package and I are not going to beg…” and “You aren’t giving my package due credit.” Allred referred to her client as a “featured dancer,” said Lee has undergone emotional distress over the last few weeks and confirmed she would cooperate in any House ethics investigation. “If asked to testify, she will testify truthfully,” Allred said. “And she will provide all of her communications to and from the congressman to the committee.” On June 1, Weiner told Wolf Blitzer, in reference to Lee: “I don’t know who the woman is. I followed her for a moment. And then someone started Tweeting, oh my goodness, Anthony Weiner is following someone in that industry.” The very next day, Lee alleges, Weiner instructed her what to say if approached about their relationship.
