![Whitney Houston -- Prescription Drugs Found ... Possible Drowning [Exclusive Photo Update]](http://ll-media.tmz.com/2012/02/12/0211-hero-whitney2-248x127.jpg)
A gnarly scuffle erupted in court yesterday at a hearing involving the lawyer for the Burglar Bunch.
Vania Stuelp -- a former TMZ producer who is now the deputy public information officer for the L.A. County court system -- was dealing with a French film crew that was shooting in violation of court rules.
We're told Stuelp was near the counsel table before the case was heard, trying to confiscate the film crew's tape, when the bailiff came over and ordered her to leave the area.
Stuelp showed her credentials and told the bailiff she was doing her job and would not leave.
The bailiff then grabbed Stuelp by the arms, dragged her across the courtroom, slammed her against the wall and handcuffed her -- this according to a complaint Stuelp filed with the court. Sheriff spokesperson Steve Whitmore tells TMZ, "Our initial inquiry does not indicate that occurred, however, we are going to investigate those allegations."
Stuelp was eventually released but ended up with bruises and sought medical attention.
The videotape was never confiscated. Those damn French.
See More
Reader Comments
(Page 1 of 2) | 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments
thats just awful! i hope she feels better soon, even though it was "a scuffle"...being bodyslammed against a courtroom wall has got to suck, any way you slice it. what a terrible abuse of power, and what disrespect for the court!
Wow you would think the stupid guy would know there is a PIO for the courts and what there job is. He should have backed off and radioed his sgt or commander to find out what her powers are.
Sounds like you can flip one more number on the jobless rate.
I guess we know who TMZ's mole in the L.A. Court system is. I am betting she will be out of a job real soon now that TMZ burned her.
Maybe she was in the wrong, sounds like TMZ is defending her because of their previous relationship. She should have followed procedures regarding the rules, I doubt her job description said if they refuse to start grabbing their personal property.
I think Stuelp will be found right.
I think the bailiff might be in some hot water, because if a person shows their credentials that they are a lawyer and the camera crew was trying to violate a court order and the lawyer was trying to stop that, the bailiff should have actually helped her remove the film crew that was in violation or take their film away.
The bailiff should not have just grabbed her. The bailiff should not be operating like a robot. If someone shows their credentials and explains that the crew shouldn't be there, then the bailiff should listen to that. The bailiff needs to pay more attention and be up to speed as to what's going on in the courtroom.
5. I guess we know who TMZ's mole in the L.A. Court system is. I am betting she will be out of a job real soon now that TMZ burned her.
Posted at 3:47PM on Jan 27th 2010 by ah ha!
She is ONE of their moles.
10. She got what she deserved!!! end of it!!
Posted at 3:56PM on Jan 27th 2010 by Lorenz
================================================
Thank you for your wisdom, Lorenz.
And I learned a lot from your detailed explanation.
Now we know who the LA courts Mole is for you guys....you really laid out some overkill with the descriptions of the incident :/
A tiny conflict of interest in "reporting" a story that involves a former employee?
You callous ignoramuses. This woman is a court official, doing her job. She showed her ID to the bailiff who manhandled her and caused bruising. How would you like to be ASSAULTED for doing your job??? To imply that she is a malingerer for seeking medical treatment underscores your lack of compassion.
It is appropriate for TMZ to reveal her former relationship to imply that she is a mole shows how little you know about how newsgathering or our court systems work.
Go back to reading your sensationalistic drivel. Your opinions are worthless.
