All posts containing the tag: "criminal threats"
Posted May 27th 2009 12:05PM by TMZ Staff
Depending on how a court decides, Lindsay Lohan could have a great excuse for her nuclear breakup with Samantha Ronson: "I learned it from you, dad!"
Michael Lohan, Lindsay's pop, pled not guilty to second degree aggravated harassment yesterday after he allegedly threatened to kill himself and his fiancee, Erin Muller, when she tried to dump him back in March.
Cops tell us Michael surrendered himself for arrest on April 6 in Suffolk County. MiLo is due back in court next month.
Fun fact: If Lohan's arrest had happened two months earlier, he'd have been in some serious trouble -- the terms of his parole for a 2004 assault bust just ended in February.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Lindsay Lohan
Tags: criminal threats, CriminalThreats, erin muller, ErinMuller, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan, michael lohan, MichaelLohan
Posted Mar 1st 2009 3:23AM by TMZ Staff
Now that Rihanna has apparently decided to forgive Chris Brown for that unfortunate beat down, the burning question is whether Chris will beat the rap.
Here's the lowdown. We're hearing the case will be turned over to the Los Angeles County D.A. next week, and a decision should be made soon thereafter on whether to file criminal charges against him. The two most likely charges: Making criminal threats and domestic violence.
As for a possible criminal threats charge, we think it's now less likely the D.A. will file because of Rihanna's change of heart. First of all, sources tell us the main reason he was arrested for this is because he allegedly told Rihanna something to the effect of, "I'm going to kill you." It's a terrible thing to say, but lots of people say it in the heat of battle, so it's thin to begin with. Add to that -- Rihanna may well testify she never believed he meant it and the case looks a bit lame.
Domestic violence is a whole other thing. When the jury sees the pictures of a clearly battered Rihanna, it's probably more powerful than any testimony she'd give. In fact, if she were to get on the stand and say she started the fight or somehow deserved it, it would not ring true ... especially because he was hardly the worse for wear when he was busted.
And there's this ... given the picture, it's going to be a tough call not to prosecute Brown.
Finally, we're told more than half of the D.A.'s domestic violence cases involve women who have either recanted their stories or have gotten back together with the alleged abuser.
We think a decision could come down sometime next week.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Rihanna, Chris Brown
Tags: abuse, charged, chris brown, ChrisBrown, court, criminal threats, CriminalThreats, domestic violence, DomesticViolence, los angeles county da, LosAngelesCountyDa, police, prosecute, prosecution, rhianna, rihanna, Robyn Fenty, RobynFenty, trial, violence
Posted Feb 12th 2009 2:28AM by TMZ Staff
Chris Brown may have gotten lucky because the charge he was booked on is kinda weak, law enforcement sources tell TMZ. But he's still in big trouble, and Rihanna says it's not the first time he's attacked her.
Sources say the Los Angeles County District Attorney kicked the case back to the police for further investigation because evidence that he made criminal threats against Rihanna is kind of thin. Our sources are quick to say he will, however, almost certainly be charged with felony domestic battery, a lesser offense but still serious.
Here's how it went down, according to the police report. After Chris received a text message from a woman who wrote about getting together, an argument erupted. By the way, initially, Rihanna would not tell cops what started the argument.
She did, however, tell them that during the argument, he started hitting her. According to the police report, she ordered him to drive her home and "faked a call" to someone, saying things like, "He's dropping me off. Make sure the cops are there."
Rihanna told cops the fake call enraged Brown. He said something to the effect of "You are really fu**ed up now. I'm going to kill you." This statement is the basis of the criminal threats charge.
At that point, according to the report, Brown allegedly began a violent attack with his fists. At some point, Rihanna took the keys out of the ignition and threw them outside.
And there's this. According to the police report, she told cops this was not the first time Brown hit her. She referred to it as an ongoing and escalating abusive relationship.
We're told the criminal threats charge is based on that one statement Brown allegedly made. As one law enforcement source told us, "It's kinda weak, and the D.A. is not going to prosecute a high profile case like this unless it's solid." That's why it was kicked back for further investigation.
Given the brutal nature of the attack, which the photos clearly show -- contusions on the face, swollen eyes, cut lip, bloody nose, bite marks on fingers and arm -- a felony domestic battery charge is virtually a done deal. That, however, is a less serious offense than making criminal threats.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Music, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Exclusives
Tags: arrest, attack, chris brown, ChrisBrown, criminal threats, CriminalThreats, domestic violence, DomesticViolence, fight, lamborghini, rihanna
