CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

Small businesses are folding left and right due to COVID-19 -- and now a bunch of 'em are suing the pants off China ... for TRILLIONS.

A group of small businesses in California -- including Cardiff Prestige Property, Little Saigon Chamber of Commerce, First Premier X and others -- just filed the lawsuit against the People's Republic of China, the City of Wuhan and that country's Health Commission.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the small biz squad claims the Chinese government knew as early as mid-November that they were dealing with a "new" and potentially deadly virus, but kept quiet about it and even tried covering it up.

The lawsuit -- which this coalition is aiming to make a class-action by inviting similarly affected businesses across the U.S. -- also alleges it's possible a bio-weapons lab near Wuhan could be responsible for the infected bat that ended up in a wet market ... ultimately starting the pandemic.

It's pretty simple ... the suit claims since China was well aware of the simmering pandemic WAY earlier than February ... it had a responsibility to give a heads up to the World Health Organization and neighboring nations, but didn't.

As a result, this group of businesses says China has cost entrepreneurs dearly. The group is asking for a whopping $8 TRILLION in damages they say they and other small businesses have either already suffered, or will down the line due to government-ordered closures.

Zoom has serious loopholes when it comes to privacy, but it wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic when it was finally exposed ... so claims one of its shareholders who is now suing.

Michael Drieu, a Zoom shareholder, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the video conferencing company claiming Zoom "had significantly overstated the degree to which its video communication software was encrypted."

Drieu claims things were so bad "organizations consequently prohibited its employees from utilizing Zoom for work activities."

Elon Musk's companies (Tesla and SpaceX), the New York City Department of Education, as well as, government agencies around the world have reportedly banned Zoom conferencing.

Drieu claims Zoom's lack of software encryption ultimately left the company vulnerable to hackers -- dubbed as "Zoom bombing" -- where uninvited guests pop into Zoom meetings.

Remember, Zoom's not only for work meetings. Since the pandemic forced people into quarantine ... millions have been holding virtual happy hours on Zoom and even weddings.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has apologized for the flaws and acknowledged as much in a blog post last week. Zoom has vowed to bridge the security loopholes.

It's come to this ... cops stepped into a house divided, where a mother and son fought over toilet paper -- specifically, due to hiding and over-wiping.

L.A. County Sheriff's deputies busted 26-year-old Adrian Yan around 3 AM -- always a bad sign -- for punching his mother. Why? He claims he discovered his mom was hoarding TP.

Yan's mom told cops, her own flesh and blood decked her over the clandestine stockpile -- we're guessing he was pretty desperate for a square or 5. Yan was arrested for battery.

Interestingly, cops say his mother didn't even deny stashing the TP, and say she told them her kid uses too much. In short, he's allegedly a classic over-wiper.

Mom refused medical treatment at the scene, so the punch couldn't have been too bad -- but it's still a cautionary tale as we're all supposed to be "safer" at home.

R. Kelly swung hard to get out of jail over fears he'd catch COVID-19 ... but he struck out 'cause the judge just denied his request.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge said among the several reasons why the disgraced singer will NOT get out of jail is because he's still a flight risk. The judge said "[Kelly] is currently in custody because of the risks that he will flee or attempt to obstruct, threaten or intimidate prospective witnesses. The defendant has not explained how those risks have changed."

As for Kelly's fears he'll catch COVID-19 if he remains behind bars ... the judge said there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at MCC in Chicago where Kelly's penned up. The judge also points to measures taken by the Bureau of Prisons in combating the spread of the virus in its facilities ... like suspending all social visits and suspending inmate facility transfers.

What's more ... the judge says she ain't buying Kelly's part of the at-risk group 'cause he "is fifty-three years old, twelve years younger than the cohort of 'older adults' defined by the CDC as at high risk."

Kelly had argued he's had surgery while in jail, but the judge said, "he does not explain how his surgical history places him at a higher risk of severe illness. Moreover, officials in Chicago have advised the government that doctors have completed all treatment for the defendant’s recent operation."

As for Kelly's argument, he can't meet with lawyers to strategize for his July trial ... the judge said Kelly can still communicate via phone and email. And get this ... the judge said it's unlikely his trial will proceed as scheduled in early July ... adding "as conditions return to normal, [Kelly] and his lawyers will have additional time to prepare for trial."

We broke the story ... Kelly claimed the conditions he's under while in prison are "tantamount to making them drink poison." He is currently behind bars in Illinois as he awaits his trial, this after getting slapped with a slew of charges by federal prosecutors in NY.

There's a federal prison preparing for mass coronavirus casualties ... at least according to an inmate who risked posting video from his cell to expose how the virus is wreaking havoc on in the inside.

The inmate never identifies himself, but said he was using a contraband burner phone to go on social media ... just feet away from his cellmate who he claims has COVID-19 and is struggling to breathe.

He says inmates in the unnamed prison are getting infected by dozens, and some have already died -- he claims to have witnessed guards taking victims out on stretchers, and that the prison had a tent set up to line up the bodies.

The inmate was wearing a mask, and so was his cellmate who allegedly has COVID-19 ... and definitely seems to be very ill. The cellmate told him not to call guards for help because they won't do a damn thing.

The guy with the phone says he's set to get out in a year, but he was still willing to risk going live and showing his face because the situation was too dire not to expose it. As for where he was -- he makes a reference to the feds and to Cuomo ... so, he could be at a federal prison in NY state.

Then again, he could be talking about Chris Cuomo, because he also referenced CNN.

The guy knows his current events though, because he mentions "compassionate release" ... when judges sign off on early releases for prisoners who are non-violent, aging, or in an at-risk group.

Remember, that's how Tekashi 6ix9ine got out early.

Tekashi 6ix9ine has the coronavirus to thank for an even earlier prison release than expected -- the judge just signed off on his request to get out to avoid infection from the coronavirus.

The judge agreed Thursday the rapper should be granted a compassionate release, effective immediately, from the NY facility where he's been held. Instead of serving the rest of his 2-year sentence behind bars ... he'll do it at home.

Tekashi will be on supervised release. During his first 4 months of home incarceration, he'll have a GPS monitor and must remain at an address approved by his probation officer. According to the judge's order, he can only leave if he needs to seek necessary medical treatment or visit his attorney -- and he must get pre-approval from the probation department.

If, for any reason, the GPS monitoring is not available or malfunctioning ... Tekashi must have a daily videoconference with his probation officer. So, he'll be like most of us ... suddenly using Zoom, Skype or FaceTime to stay connected.

Tekashi's lawyers, Lance Lazzaro and Dawn Florio, were going back and forth filing motions to gain his release. At first, Judge Engelmayer denied 6ix9ine's request because he said he didn't technically have the power to release him.

He directed the team to file a request with the Bureau of Prisons and said they were the ones who could bust him out early ... but then that department said they couldn't help him because Tekashi was in a private facility under the watch of the U.S. Marshals Service, instead of a BOP facility.

As a result, the ball was back in Judge Engelmayer's court, and hizzoner just handed down the order releasing Tekashi to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement.

BTW ... prosecutors said they had no objection to the compassionate release so long as the judge found there were indeed "extraordinary and compelling reasons" due to his medical conditions that'd place him at high risk during the outbreak. Yep, he did.

You'll recall ... Tekashi was supposed to be getting out later this summer after his conviction on racketeering charges last year. But, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak -- and preexisting conditions, he claims he is potentially high-risk in a prison setting -- 6ix9ine took the opportunity to ask to be sent home even earlier.

The Florida pastor who got hauled in by cops for hosting a megachurch service despite quarantine and stay-at-home orders is doubling down ... insisting he did NOTHING wrong.

The Tampa-area minister is Rodney Howard-Browne, and he took to his own podcast/telecast shortly after being released Monday night to explain why he did what he did -- namely, put hundreds of people's lives at risk by hosting the service.

RHB has a lot to say, but the gist is that he was simply exercising his First Amendment right -- i.e., freedom of religion and separation of church and state. His logic is bizarre. Watch.

There's more though ... Rodney goes IN on the media, sounding very Trump-like by suggesting a lot of outlets are hyping the threat of coronavirus and fear-mongering to get everyone scared and panicked. BTW ... more than 800 people in the U.S. died Tuesday.

One interesting note ... it sounds like Rodney here thinks the charges he was brought in on -- which he incorrectly calls First Amendment violations -- will be resolved shortly.

He says he's willing to do interviews, but only once his lawyers and theirs (the county/state's) have a chat and put this matter to bed. He also talks TMZ a bit. 👀

One last thing ... the guy shows ZERO remorse for his actions, insisting he had no choice. Wrong again, Rod -- but go ahead and tell us why you think that is. We're listening ...

R. Kelly's firing back at prosecutors who say he shouldn't get released early due to coronavirus risks -- arguing prison is a petri dish, and insisting he can't properly prep for trial from jail.

The singer's legal team filed a reply to the feds' response to Kelly's original motion last week, in which they asked a judge to let R. Kelly out of jail on bond ... mainly because he feared coming down with COVID-19.

Uncle Sam's responded ... R. Kelly isn't old enough (65 or older) to be considered high-risk. They also said a recent surgery he had doesn't make him more susceptible to the virus. On top of all that, the feds say R. Kelly's been provided with plenty of soap and cleaning supplies.

Kelly claims that's not the case, especially for other inmates to whom he might be exposed. The feds say MCC Chicago is up to snuff with CDC guidelines and adds that no one at the jail has tested positive.

R. Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, isn't buying prosecutors' logic. In the new docs he says prison is basically a breeding ground for bacteria, and it's only a matter of time before someone gets the virus and spreads it like wildfire.

He also says his client is being deprived of his right to prep for trial because he can't meet face-to-face with his lawyers. MCC Chicago's banned all visitors due to the pandemic. Greenberg says inmates there are fighting for phone time, and they're having a hard time getting ahold of him.

Jussie Smollett wants to move on from his alleged "attack" -- despite a pending trial -- and he's singing about it while on coronavirus lockdown.

Jussie just broke his social media silence Wednesday by singing and playing the piano. It's the ex-"Empire" star's first time posting anything in over 9 months, so this is a rarity.

Jussie sang Stevie Wonder's song, "A Place in The Sun." It's about moving on and finding a place in the sun where there's hope for everyone. Guess this is what's been on the top of Jussie's mind.

Seems Jussie considers his quarantine as dating way back to the alleged racist and homophobic "attack" ... because he says he's on day 421. We checked, and that marks the number of days since Jan. 29, 2019 ... when he made the allegation he was jumped in Chicago by 2 white men who yelled, "This MAGA country!"

Jussie also says ... "Hope y'all are staying safe. Spread love and kindness... not Rona."

Moving on won't be as easy as singing a tune ... remember, Jussie is gearing up for his new trial, and weeks ago he said "truth" will be his defense.

As we reported ... Jussie got re-charged for allegedly lying to police about the alleged hate crime -- after the State Attorney's Office dropped the original 16 charges against him.

Harvey Weinstein says the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is seriously complicating one of his many legal matters, so he's begging a judge for more time.

According to a new legal doc -- obtained by TMZ -- Weinstein wants a 2-month extension for discovery in a civil case ... specifically, "due to the current coronavirus crisis." The now-convicted rapist is being sued for sexual assault by actress Wedil David.

It's interesting ... Weinstein's lawyer, Imran Ansari, spells out several reasons why the disgraced movie mogul can't meet the court's deadline -- his recent conviction in his NY rape case, his pending criminal case in L.A. and his rapidly declining health and medical problems -- but does NOT confirm the recent news that Weinstein tested positive for coronavirus.

In fact, Weinstein's attorney says he wouldn't even confirm a COVID-19 diagnosis to opposing counsel out of respect for his privacy rights. However, TMZ has confirmed he's one of 2 inmates to test positive at Wende Correctional Facility in New York.

Even more interesting -- the legal doc refers to Weinstein as an "at-risk individual" and argues the events of the last month have been a "perfect storm" for him ... and the coronavirus pandemic as a whole, warrants an extension of a deadline in his civil case to May 15.

The judge has yet to rule on the motion.