Atlantic City corruption case features sex, lies and videotapeOctober 8th, 2009 3 on trial in Atlantic City corruption caseMAYS LANDING, N.J. — Sitting in the back seat of a car in Atlantic City, the young prostitute listened as two men in the front told her exactly what to do, prosecutors say.
Prosecutor: Ohio pediatrician paid patients for sex acts; Defense: Case 'flat-out extortion'October 6th, 2009 Prosecutor: Pediatrician molested male patientsHAMILTON, Ohio — A pediatrician performed sex acts on three teen patients during office visits, slipping them cash payments of about $200 as they left, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday. Dr. Mark Blankenburg doled out money and prescription drugs to some of the patients even after they became adults, Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Lance Salyers said in opening statements at the doctor's trial.
Travolta lawyer denies he setup ex-senator, says police urged him to record alleged plotOctober 2nd, 2009 Travolta attorney in Bahamas trial denies setupNASSAU, Bahamas — A lawyer for John Travolta denied Friday that he tried to set up a former Bahamas senator who is on trial for allegedly attempting to extort $25 million from the movie star. Attorney Michael McDermott told the court he was following police instructions when he secretly recorded conversations with Pleasant Bridgewater, who is accused of demanding the money on behalf of a paramedic who treated the actor's 16-year-old son, Jett, following a seizure that led to his death.
Travolta lawyer says he told Bahamas defendants they would not get away with alleged extortionOctober 1st, 2009 Travolta attorney says he warned Bahamas defendantNASSAU, Bahamas — A lawyer for John Travolta testified Thursday that he warned a former Bahamas senator she would not get away with an alleged scheme to extort $25 million from the movie star, and even wore a wire to secretly record their conversations. Attorney Michael McDermott said the defendant, Pleasant Bridgewater, contacted him by telephone and demanded the money on behalf of a paramedic who had treated the actor's 16-year-old son, Jett, following a seizure that led to his death.
Travolta testifies that Bahamas medic threatened to claim actor was at fault in son's deathSeptember 30th, 2009 Travolta testifies Bahamas medic threatened himNASSAU, Bahamas — John Travolta testified Wednesday that a Bahamas paramedic threatened to sell stories to the news media suggesting the movie star was at fault in the death of his 16-year-old son. Travolta said paramedic Tarino Lightbourne, who is now on trial for extortion, demanded $25 million.
John Travolta employee says 2 accused in Bahamas threatened to release private info to mediaSeptember 30th, 2009 John Travolta employee testifies at Bahamas trialNASSAU, Bahamas — A paramedic who treated John Travolta's chronically ill son was ready to release private information to the media unless he was paid $25 million for a document he believed "detrimental" to the movie star, a lawyer testified Tuesday. Allyson Maynard-Gibson, an attorney for Travolta who is also the opposition leader in the archipelago's Senate, said ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne's lawyer told her days after the autistic boy's death in January that the paramedic wanted to give the actor "first option" to buy the document.
Court reserves order on Abu Salem's bail pleaSeptember 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A city court Thursday reserved its order on the bail plea of underworld gangster Abu Salem and said it will decide on Delhi Police's plea for video-conferencing in an extortion case against him. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja refused to entertain Salem counsel Arvind Shukla's plea that the trial be conducted on day-to-day basis.
ACORN lawsuit: Md. law broken by video of workers giving advice to 2 posing as pimp, hookerSeptember 23rd, 2009 ACORN sues hidden-camera filmmakersBALTIMORE — Community activist group ACORN is suing the makers of a hidden-camera video that showed employees of its Baltimore office giving tax advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman posing as a prostitute. The liberal group contends that the audio portion of the video was obtained illegally because Maryland requires two-party consent to create sound recordings.
John Travolta describes final moments of son's life at Bahamas extortion trialSeptember 23rd, 2009 Travolta recounts son's death at Bahamas trialNASSAU, Bahamas — John Travolta said Wednesday he tried desperately to save the life of his seizure-prone son and made perhaps his first public description of the boy as autistic as he testified in the trial of two people accused of trying to blackmail him. With his wife, Kelly Preston, looking on inside the Nassau courtroom, Travolta said that he performed CPR on his son after a nanny alerted him the teen had fallen ill at a family vacation home on Grand Bahama island.
John Travolta makes first appearance at courthouse holding Bahamas extortion trialSeptember 23rd, 2009 John Travolta arrives for Bahamas extortion trialNASSAU, Bahamas — John Travolta appeared Wednesday for a trial for two people accused of trying to extort $25 million from the movie star, arriving at a courthouse surrounded by Bahamas police officers. Travolta, who is expected to testify for the prosecution, pulled up in an entourage of sport utility vehicles in his first appearance at the trial.
Bahamas prosecutors say 2 extortion defendants threatened John TravoltaSeptember 22nd, 2009 Arguments start in Travolta extortion trialNASSAU, Bahamas — Prosecutors said a paramedic who treated John Travolta's son shortly before he died in the Bahamas threatened to release private information unless the movie star paid $25 million. Travolta is among those expected to take the stand during the trial, but he did not appear in the courtroom Tuesday during the first day of testimony in the island chain off the Florida coast.
Jury selection begins in Travolta extortion trial in the BahamasSeptember 21st, 2009 Jury selection begins in Travolta extortion trialNASSAU, Bahamas — Jury selection began Monday in a trial that could see John Travolta take the stand against two people accused of trying to extort $25 million from the movie star following his son's death in the Bahamas. Travolta is on a list of 14 witnesses against the defendants — a former Bahamas senator and an ambulance driver — who allegedly threatened to release a document related to the treatment of his chronically ill son Jett.
John Travolta may testify at Bahamas extortion trial of 2 accused of targeting the movie starSeptember 20th, 2009 John Travolta may testify at Bahamas trialNASSAU, Bahamas — John Travolta is among the potential witnesses at a Bahamas trial beginning Monday for two people accused of trying to extort $25 million from the movie star, according to court officials. An ambulance driver and a former Bahamas senator allegedly targeted Travolta after his chronically ill son died in the Bahamas.
Jury selection begins in civil trial over New Orleans crime camera programSeptember 14th, 2009 Trial beginning over New Orleans' crime camerasNEW ORLEANS — Jury selection is under way in the civil trial over New Orleans' problem-plagued crime camera system. The trial that opened Monday stems from a lawsuit filed in 2007 by two companies that allege the system they'd developed was misappropriated by people within and with ties to the city's technology office.
Ohio judge orders defendant's mouth sealed with duct tape to silence outbursts in courtSeptember 1st, 2009 Ohio judge silences defendant with duct tapeCANTON, Ohio — An Ohio judge unhappy with repeated interruptions from a robbery suspect ordered a deputy to put duct tape over the defendant's mouth. Canton Municipal Court Judge Stephen Belden says the taping last Thursday was the best way to restore order at a hearing for 51-year-old Harry Brown of Canton.
