06:57 PM EDT 05/31/2012
Trials & Lawsuits
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John Edwards Case: Judge Sends Back Jury to Deliberate
Originally posted 05/31/2012 03:25PM
It's not over for John Edwards – who faces charges of breaking federal campaign-finance laws – despite an announcement Thursday afternoon that, after nine days of deliberations, the jury had reached a verdict.
In fact, the jury of eight men and four women entered the courtroom in Greensboro, N.C., and announced that they had only decided one count out of six counts that are to be decided. (Their guilty or not guilty decision on the one count was not announced.)
"The government's view is it appears they are not finished," said a member of the prosecution team. Edwards's defense team countered with a suggestion that the court take the verdict on the single count and declare a mistrial on the rest. The judge sent the jury back to work to continue deliberating.
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Matthew Fox's Assault Lawsuit Withdrawn by Bus Driver
Originally posted 05/31/2012 01:40PM
Good news for Matthew Fox: a Cleveland bus driver who alleged that the actor assaulted her in August 2011 has withdrawn her lawsuit, according to papers obtained by PEOPLE.
At the time, Heather Bormann told authorities that the former Lost star delivered "sudden and severe blows to [her] right breast, groin, arm and legs, inflicting severe, disabling injury and pain" while attempting to board her vehicle.
No criminal charges were filed at the time, but Bormann sued Fox, 45, for assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress.
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Reese Witherspoon Goes Hiking with Her Father
Originally posted 05/21/2012 01:25PM
Reese Witherspoon went hiking with her father John in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday amid her parents' ongoing legal dispute over his second marriage.
The Oscar winner, 36, took her children Ava and Deacon along for what a witness says was a low-key, quiet walk together.
It has been a difficult time for the Witherspoon family, with Reese's mother Betty suing John in Tennessee, alleging that he married another woman while still married to her – though they've been separated since 1996. Betty alleged in an affidavit that John has problems with alcohol and may have early-onset dementia.
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John Travolta Lawsuit: Second Accuser Hires Gloria Allred
Originally posted 05/17/2012 02:10PM
John Doe Number Two, the second man to accuse John Travolta of sexual battery, withdrew his claim on Thursday, court records show, but he will now pursue the case with Gloria Allred.
"We believe that the lawsuit should be filed in another court and, therefore, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice," Allred said in a statement Thursday. "We will be conferring with our client regarding what will happen next in this case."
Does Number One and Two had both filed $2 million lawsuits against the actor earlier this month, alleging sexual misconduct in two separate incidents in January. But both cases have since been withdrawn.
John Doe Number One is also currently represented by attorney Gloria Allred, but it remains to be seen whether Allred will file a new lawsuit against Travolta.
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John Travolta Accuser No. 1 Hires Gloria Allred
Originally posted 05/16/2012 11:25AM
John Doe Number One, whose accusations of misconduct against John Travolta seemed to unravel last week, has a new lawyer.
"I represent John Doe Number One," famed civil rights attorney Gloria Allred confirmed to PEOPLE. "Mr. Doe's lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice which means that he is still legally entitled to file another lawsuit against John Travolta if he chooses. We are in the process of conferring with him regarding the next steps, which he may wish to take. Our client and our firm has no further comment at this time."
Allred has a long history of taking on sexual misconduct cases against A-list celebs, including allegations against Tiger Woods and Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others.
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John Travolta's First Accuser Drops Lawsuit
Originally posted 05/15/2012 01:35PM
John Travolta has one less accuser to worry about.
The masseur known only as John Doe Number One, whose claims of sexual assault during a massage session set off a firestorm for the actor, has dropped out of the lawsuit amid mounting evidence apparently contradicting his allegations.
"Let's just say we had differences in opinion of how to handle the case and decided to part ways," his lawyer Okorie Okorocha tells PEOPLE.
The notice of dismissal was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
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John Travolta Will Face 'Hell of a Fight' from Second Accuser, Lawyer Says
Originally posted 05/14/2012 01:45PM
As the sexual assault case of John Travolta's first accuser appears to have all but crumbled, the focus has shifted to allegations made by John Doe #2 – and his attorney is gearing up for a no-holds-barred trial.
But he wants it carried out entirely in private.
"I want a full trial with a private judge," Okorie Okorocha tells PEOPLE, shooting down a report that he's in talks to enter mediation with Travolta's attorneys. "There is no mediation. There'll never be a settlement. I want privacy for sex crime victims."
"It looks like [Travolta's attorney Marty Singer] wants one hell of a fight, and that is what he'll get from me," Okorocha adds.
Reese Witherspoon Attends Hearing in Parents' Marital Dispute
Originally posted 05/11/2012 08:30PM
Reese Witherspoon appeared in court Friday in Nashville with her dueling parents for an emergency closed-door hearing.
The actress's mother, Betty Witherspoon, has filed papers claiming her husband of 42 years – Reese's dad – tied the knot with another woman while still married to Betty.
The hearing before Probate Judge Randy Kennedy was closed to the public, but Kennedy typically handles cases involving conservatorship and determining mental capacity, The Tennesseean reports.
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John Travolta's First Accuser Parts Ways with Attorney
Originally posted 05/11/2012 04:45PM
John Doe No. 1, the first anonymous masseur to make sexual allegations against John Travolta, is getting a new attorney but remains on the lawsuit for now.
Lawyer Okorie Okorocha tells PEOPLE his client, whose claims appeared to be contradicted by photos, a restaurant receipt, airline records and other evidence, "is getting new representation."
A second masseur is still being represented by Okorocha, and the lawsuit continues to list both men as plaintiffs, though it could be amended at any time.
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Reese Witherspoon's Mom: My Husband Married Another Woman
Originally posted 05/10/2012 05:00PM
Reese Witherspoon's mother has launched a legal action against the actress's father in Tennessee, with Mary Elizabeth Witherspoon seeking to annul John Witherspoon's new marriage on the grounds he's still her husband.
John, 70, described as a Nashville-based physician, married a woman named Tricianne Taylor, 60, in January, according to a certificate of marriage attached to the legal papers.
The actress's mother, who goes by the first name Betty, filed a petition for annulment, saying, "No person in Tennessee can marry another while being married at the same time of the second marriage."
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