Celebrity Justice
"Exorcist" Director Alarmed -- "I Been Robbed!"

The "Exorcist" director and the former Prez of Paramount Pictures have sued ADT Security Services, claiming the company made them "unwitting targets for home invasion."
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According to the suit, filed today in Los Angeles County Superior Court, William Friedkin and Sherry Lansing entered into a contract with ADT for their home in Bel-Air, a posh area of L.A. They say they made the deal because ADT represented that it "makes your home 3 times less likely to be burglarized."

According to the suit, last December, while the couple was on holiday outside the country, the alarm sounded. They claim it took ADT one hour and forty-five minutes for a patrolman to arrive. The suit alleges the patrolman came and went, without investigating or notifying the cops or the couple.

The lawsuit says the next morning, the housekeeper arrived and found the alarm was still blaring (or in Friedkin's case, Blair-ing). She found a stepladder perched beneath the second balcony. Broken glass was littered all over the place. The suit goes on to say "drawers in the bedroom and bathroom (were) left open and their contents strewn about."

The suit claims the thieves "stole jewelry that had significant amounts of value. Much of the jewelry was unique and irreplaceable." The couple's house was hit during in the middle of a rash of Bel Air break-ins.

The couple is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Reader Comments

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31. it's not ADT. it's the cops. they didn't investigate. it took them almost 2 hours to get out there. ADT would haven otified the cops right away and if the cop is stupid enough to hear the "blarging" alarm and not investigate it's his fault. what if they had been murdered the family wouldn't have sued ADT they would have sued the cops. for not doing their job.

Posted at 3:39AM on Aug 30th 2007 by luvingangel

32. It was just Linda Blair looking for work.

Posted at 7:23AM on Aug 30th 2007 by Rasputin

33. hmm... too bad. ADT still couldn't have prevented the theft. Isn't burgalized when the person is there? Theft is when the people are not home.

Posted at 8:03AM on Aug 30th 2007 by Laura

34. A house sitter would be effective.

Cameras in every room and around the perimeter of the house would deter a crook.

I am living on social security and have security cameras in my house and the entry.

If someone ignores my cameras and break into my house I have a 410 that shoots straight and don't even have to aim!

Posted at 1:11PM on Aug 30th 2007 by popsicle

35. No one overdosed today so this is the big TMZ report?
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

You can do better than this.

Posted at 8:27AM on Aug 30th 2007 by Curious in Connecticut

36. The LA Times also said that the long drives, high walls, and lush vegetation surrounding the burglarized houses were among the reasons that those houses were targeted. You'd think that if you spent all that money to ensure privacy, you'd get a better security company.

Posted at 8:42AM on Aug 30th 2007 by Laura

37. I have Brinks. Once we set the alarm off ourselves, and the police where already knocking on the door at the same time they called wanting our 'password'. They said they notify police at the time the alarm sounds, but cancel it if you give the right information over the phone. The police must of been in our neighbor to beat them to the call.

Posted at 8:51AM on Aug 30th 2007 by Steve

38. Having sold security systems for 12 years, I can say that the system itself worked. It's the operators at the monitoring station that didn't.

Posted at 10:06AM on Aug 30th 2007 by Kate

39. Their Bel-Air house was burglarized of expensive jewelry while they were away on holiday out of the country? Wah wah wah...... Make an insurance claim and somehow try to suck it up.

Posted at 2:35PM on Aug 30th 2007 by Mike O'Hara

40. HOW GREEDY -- If the jewelry is "unique and irreplaceable" than how can you sue for damages? IT's IRREPLACEABLE, remember??!! WTF

Posted at 11:59AM on Aug 30th 2007 by WTF - GREED

41. how is this ADT's fault? all they are responsible for is calling the police, they can't force the police to do their jobs. this is the fault of the cops all the way...

Posted at 12:56PM on Aug 30th 2007 by johnny

42. I too have ADT and they've responded immediately to 3 false alarm by phone within seconds. L.A. County Sheriffs were notified by ADT and were at my home within 5 minutes each time. (then again, there's a donut shop down the street). I was unavailable to answer calls at work each time, yet my emergency contact was called and had to verify their identity to officers as per my contract with ADT. That's great service form ADT!

This couple got screwed!!

Since when does a wealthy family that leaves on holiday not hire a housesitter?????

Posted at 1:12PM on Aug 30th 2007 by Eric

43. Just buy an ADT sign and stick it on your lawn. Make a few color copies to stick in a few windows while you're at it.

Posted at 1:40PM on Aug 30th 2007 by SuperStarSteve

44. nothing is infalable. per the us dept. of justice (fbi) by having a professionally installed security system you are LESS likey to be victimized. when i bad guy is looking for a target they are in search of the easiest targets available. installing an alarm is the prudent thing to do, sans having an armed guard on your property 24/7.

Posted at 2:57PM on Aug 30th 2007 by shubox88

45. Bel-Air Patrol officers have a starting salary of $25,000 and excellent benefits. They are not typical $8.00 an hour security guards. Furithermore, I have been a customer of Bel-Air Patrol for over thirty years (pre-ADT ownership) and have not had a single complaint. I have found their officers to be more than competent. If in fact this was a gross error on Bel-Air Patrol's part, it is in no way a misrepresentation of their services. Life is not perfect...mistakes happen.

Posted at 5:58PM on Aug 30th 2007 by Loren Nalpak

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