The Boys Always Wondered Why Their Pool Parties Were So Popular- July 10, 2003 It must have been a scorcher that day in May 1999 on Lake Havasu, when Michelle Padilla, then a 23-year-old single mom, decided to showcase her wares by flashing her breasts in response to the exhortations of onlookers . Four years later, Padilla, now 27, is married and is the stepmother of her husband's two sons, ages 14 and 11. Oh, and she's also featured on the cover of a "Girls Gone Wild" video, in the video itself, in "GGW" advertising and on the "GGW" website. With her sons reportedly..http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105786590786897100 Be Like Spike!- July 10, 2003 Following in the footsteps of Spike Lee, Janet Clover, a former stripper, is seeking to have Spike TV's "Stripperella," an animated series featuring Pamela Anderson as the voice of a stripper who moonlights as a superhero, taken off the air. Ms. Clover claims she's the brains behind the show and gave cartoonistcreator Stan Lee the idea for the show a year ago during a private dance session. The suit names Anderson, Lee and Viacom. coverage via Seattle Post-Intelligencer here Speaking of...http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105786415249295509 Spike Lee v. Viacom Settled- July 8, 2003 The New York Times reports here that Spike Lee and Viacom are expected to announce the settlement of Lee's misappropriation and New York-based trademark suit against the network. Lee brought the action in response to Viacom's plan to rename the TNN cable channel "Spike TV." According to the report, New York Supreme Court Justice Walter Tolub, who had enjoined Viacom from renaming TNN last month, lifted the injunction yesterday and indicated that he was doing so at the request of both sides....http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105766141085542492 Claims Against Two Defendants in "60 Minutes" Suit Dismissed- July 7, 2003 Findlaw.com reports here that two defendants -- florist Beau Strittman and Wyatt Emmerich, owner Emmerich Newspapers Inc. -- had libel claims against them dismissed by U.S. District Judge David Bramlette of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. The case, a $6.4 billion defamation lawsuit over a CBS "60 Minutes" report about Jefferson County's reputation for large jury awards, continues against defendants Media General Operations, which owns CBS-affiliate WJTV, and...http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105761162363412899 Judge Refuses To Dismiss Sprewell Libel Suit- July 7, 2003 ESPN.com reports here that a New York State Supreme Court Judge has denied the New York Post's motion to dismiss a libel suit filed by New York Knick Latrell Sprewell. According to the report, "Sprewell is suing the newspaper and its staff writer Marc Berman for publishing four reports that claimed Sprewell fractured his right pinkie finger -- an injury that kept him out of the first eight games of the NBA season -- during an altercation on his boat."http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105761158761916802 Chiquita v. Cincinnati Enquirer -- Five Years Gone- July 3, 2003 The Cincinnati City Beat reports here that five years have passed since the ugly events surrounding a Cincinnati Enquirer investigation into Chiquita Brands were resolved. According to the article, the anniversary heralds the final step in the settlement -- the destruction of all reporting notes and research material from the original May 1998 investigative series on Chiquita. The article also relates the details of the settlement (thanks in part to the reporting of Editor & Publisher, which..http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105725832655118234 New Yorker on Spike TV- July 3, 2003 "They're all nuts!" according to Nancy Franklin of The New Yorker. article here (scroll down) link via dishings.comhttp://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105725340986552904 Judge Orders Reporters to Turn Over Tapes- July 3, 2003 The Chicago Tribune reports here that U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman of the Northern District of Illinois has ordered three Chicago reporters to hand over tapes of interviews with an FBI mole who is a key witness in a trial in Ireland of an alleged Irish militant. The FBI mole, David Rupert, is a key prosecution witness in the case against Michael McKevitt, an alleged member of the IRA-splinter group, the Real IRA. Rupert was interviewed by reporters Flynn McRoberts of the Chicago...http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105725260543259320 Chris Webber Seeks Help On In Court- July 3, 2003 The Detroit Free Press reports here that Sacramento Kings star Chris Webber has asked a federal judge to order Free Press sports columnist Mitch Albom to testify at Webber's upcoming criminal trial. Webber claims that Albom can rebut government allegations that he received $280,000 from University of Michigan basketball booster Eddie Martin during Webber's tenure with the "Fab Five" basketball team. The Free Press has rejected Webber's request. The paper's attorney referring to the...http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105719061095468183 The Art of Self Ref(v)erence Part III- July 2, 2003 As we say up in Rockland County, New York, I've been getting some mad crazy inbound links recently. First, Aaron Bailey of 601am put me up on his links sidebar as a "good media law nyc blog." Then, the lovely and talented Denise Howell of Bag and Baggage linked to me not once, but twice, for my posts on Batzel and the non-decision in Nike (she even threw my name in with the likes of legal big-boy blogs SCOTUSBlog and Howard Bashman's How Appealing). As if that wasn't enough, yesterday...http://actualmalice.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_actualmalice_archive.html#105717661859726810 |