Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Foxx's Stylist Fails To Amend Lawsuit

Jamie Foxx's former stylist has failed in her bid to amend a lawsuit against the actor to include allegations he insulted her. Stacy Young originally filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the "Miami Vice" star, accusing him of not paying for her styling services for an awards show and press junkets. She tried to amend the lawsuit insisting the actor insulted her and undermined her abilities in front of others - but a motion to change it on Monday was rejected by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jane L. Johnson, who ruled it did not comply with state rules. Foxx's lawyer, Allison Hart Sievers, maintained the new allegations are "complete fabrications and have no merit whatsoever."

Saturday, July 14, 2007

"Marshall" and the Law

On June 20, Deborah Novak and John Witek sued the makers of "We Are Marshall," including Warner Bros. and director McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol), for $40 million. The duo - who created the 2000 documentary "Ashes to Glory" - claim that their award-winning film served as the basis for the 2006 feature starring Matthew McConaughey. Both movies tell the story of the Marshall University football team, which lost 36 members and almost all of its coaching staff after a 1970 plane crash. Novak and Witek also claim that producers never fulfilled their promise of onscreen credits and compensation for their involvement in the project.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Agent sent to prison for smuggling Cuban players

KEY WEST, Fla. -- A federal judge sentenced U.S. sports agent Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez to five years in prison on Monday for smuggling potential Major League Baseball players out of Cuba.

U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore ordered the prison term for Dominguez, the 48-year-old co-founder of California-based Total Sports International Inc.

Dominguez, who has represented dozens of Cuban defectors and other major league players, was convicted in April of smuggling five prospects out of Cuba to the Florida Keys and then on to California, where he shopped them to potential teams.

The case was believed to be the first directly linking smuggling with the business of baseball, which is Cuba's national sport as well as the traditional U.S. national pastime.

In addition to five years behind bars, the judge ordered Dominguez to serve three years probation and to pay a $2,100 fine.

Defense attorneys J. Stephen Salter and Ben Kuehne, pleading for leniency, had earlier cited scores of letters, including one written by Hall of Fame pitching great Sandy Koufax, supporting Dominguez.

"I have always considered Gus to be a person of strong character and high moral principles. He has an unshakable love for his culture and does his best to serve as a role model to the players he represents, especially Latin players," Koufax wrote to Moore.