CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

"Orange Is the New Black" star Dascha Polanco is in full support of Kim Kardashian's latest prison visit ... saying it proves Kim's more than just talk when it comes to prison reform.

We got the actress Monday at LAX, and asked her thoughts on Kim's latest visit to Cali's Pelican Bay State prison, where she met inmates held in solitary confinement -- a visit that drew mixed reactions ... from the public, at least.

Dascha says she's all the way here for Kim Kardashian making these kinds of visits.

From her own experience, she admits she's felt intimidated working with inmates at times ... but she salutes anyone who's willing to go above and beyond to make a difference.

As for whether Kim can have a real impact, Dascha says "absolutely" ... adding it all comes down to having a conversation and having influence, which we all know Kim has in abundance.

As we told you, the SKIMS founder recently spent a day at Pelican Bay ... chatting face-to-face with inmates about the toll solitary confinement can take on their mental stability.

Over the years ... Kim's dedicated a lot of time to prison reform. You'll recall, she met with former President Trump in 2018 to help pardon Alice Marie Johnson, and she played a huge role in freeing a number of inmates like Matthew Charles and Jeffrey Stringer.

Like many things, Kim got some backlash for her efforts -- but as far as Dascha is concerned, haters are always going to talk.

"The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star, Jen Shah, is in federal court eagerly awaiting her punishment for committing wire fraud -- and, as ya might expect, she's dressed to the nines for her big day.

Jen showed up at the courthouse in NYC wearing a cheetah print get-up ... so, the judge won't have any trouble spotting the defendant.

As we reported, Jen was arrested back in 2021 for targeting and scamming folks out of their money with an alleged telemarketing scheme ... she initially pled not guilty, with her lawyer saying she was "totally innocent."

That all changed in July, when she pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing ... and as part of her deal, prosecutors dropped one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The deal called for a sentence of up to 14 years in prison, and possibly being on the hook for around $9 mil in restitution to victims of the fraud. Jen herself has asked for 3 years.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds were gunning for a 10-year sentence against the reality star in December ... giving a laundry list of reasons why she's the "most culpable person charged in this case."

The sentencing is happening right now ... stay tuned for updates.

An organization that helps people bail out of jail -- and supported by big celebs -- has shut down after getting sued by a man who was shot days after the shooter was released on bail ... bail posted by the org.

The Bail Project has a list of big celebs behind it, including John Legend, Danny Glover and Richard Branson.

The Bail Project posted $3,000 bond for Rashawn Gaston-Anderson last December. He had been arrested on burglary charges and had a long rap sheet, including attempted grand larceny, carrying a concealed weapon, felony burglary and auto theft ... this according to 8NewsNow.

Six days after being released on the $3,000 bond, Gaston-Anderson shot a Las Vegas man, Chengyan Wang, 7 times.

Gaston-Anderson copped a plea on charges of attempted robbery, mayhem with enhancements for using a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 7-18 years.

Wang, who apparently has permanent injuries, is now suing The Bail Project, claiming it did not do due diligence before posting bail for Gaston-Anderson. The Clark County D.A. who prosecuted Gaston-Anderson said, "One can say, in a sense, they are vouching for the person."

The Bail Project, which has posted bond for 51 people in the Las Vegas area since 2021, called the incident "an absolute tragedy."

Tory Lanez is guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot back in 2020 ... a jury has decided.

The verdict came in Friday, just before the holiday -- where a group of L.A. jurors found the Canadian rapper guilty of all three charges against him -- felony negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm.

After the verdict was read, several members of Tory's family -- including his dad and stepmom -- shouted, "This system stands before God!" and calling the court system evil. Deputies surrounded his family members and escorted them out of the courtroom.

Tory was filmed entering court before the verdict was read, telling cameras his spirits were high.

Tory now faces more than 22 years in prison, which will be determined during sentencing on January 27. Sources connected to the case tell us Tory's lawyers were in touch with immigration officials -- before the guilty verdict -- and we're told they've been informed there's a strong likelihood he will be forced to leave the country.

This marks the conclusion of a wild 2 weeks in court, which saw a handful of witnesses take the stand to recount what they say happened on that fateful night. Megan herself obviously testified, squarely pointing the finger at Tory as the shooter.

She said she saw Tory with the gun, explaining she remembers him firing at her from his Cadillac Escalade ... and claims he shouted, "Dance, bitch!" MTS also testified that Tory offered her $1 million to keep quiet.

Meg was called out by the defense for several items, including the fact she initially wasn't forthright about having an intimate relationship with Tory Lanez, and that she'd initially lied to police about how her feet had gotten injured.

The defense also tried to target Meg's ex-BFF, Kelsey, as the shooter ... and the reason she might've shot her was because of alleged creeping behind her back with guys like Ben Simmons, DaBaby and Tory himself -- a revelation that apparently sparked a major argument among all 3 of them in the car.

What exactly happened in the car was a major source of contention during the trial. While Megan had one version of events -- Kelsey seemed to have a different story ... albeit, with a very spotty memory on the stand that created stop-and-go recounting under oath.

What she did definitively testify to on the stand ... she wasn't the one who shot Megan ... but she wasn't willing to go as far as to say Tory did.

But, remember ... prosecutors were eventually able to get the green light to play a prior interview she'd given investigators in September -- and in that recording, she said Tory did actually shoot Meg.

Other witnesses took the stand too, but none of them were as consequential as Megan and Kelsey -- including the guy who supposedly saw the two women fighting from his balcony. Ultimately, he wasn't very definitive about who he says he saw fire the gun.

The physical evidence in the case wasn't that strong -- there was gun residue found on both Kelsey and Tory ... and inconclusive DNA evidence on the gun itself. Tory never took the stand, and neither did his driver that night ... Jaquan Smith. Aside from cops and a witness to the Kylie Jenner party that preceded all this -- it really boiled down to Kelsey and Meg.

In the end, the jury obviously sided with prosecutors. As for the court of public opinion ... the jury is still very much out. People certainly took sides on social media -- and on traditional media too -- but now ... it's unclear if their allegiances will change.

"Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah should be behind bars for 10 years after pleading guilty in her wire fraud case -- at least that's what federal prosecutors want the judge to order.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds are seeking a 10-year sentence against the "RHOBH" alum, insisting she's the "most culpable person charged in this case."

The docs go through a laundry list of reasons why prosecutors think she's deserving of the lengthy lockup ... saying the reality star used the money from her fraud to "live a life of luxury."

Prosecutors say Shah attempted to "conceal her role in the scheme," but was very involved in the day-to-day operations. In the docs, prosecutors say Shah was upset with the amount of money coming in around June 2018, and texted her coworkers, "“I’m coming in to set appts for these guys tomorrow. Please get my 24 karat gold headset with diamond encrusted mouthpiece ready. Papi needs money for the weekend and [a co-conspirator] needs baby mama money.”

They also say her post-arrest conduct shows she deserves a long time in prison -- pointing out she went "on a public offensive against the charges and tried to profit off the charges by selling 'Justice for Jen' merchandise."

As we reported, Jen finally took a deal in July, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing ... and as part of her deal, prosecutors dropped one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Both sides have rested their case in Tory Lanez's shooting trial ... and now, the singer's fate will be decided by the jury.

The jury started deliberations Thursday, after 9 days of trial. Closing arguments from the prosecution started Wednesday afternoon, with Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott making one last effort to convince jurors that Tory shot Megan Thee Stallion ... saying the case is simply about "a guy who shot a girl, then apologized for it."

Prosecutors also pointed to Tory's "bruised ego" as a reason he shot Meg.

The defense's closing argument went hard on Kelsey Harris, claiming she was the one that pulled the trigger -- while also calling Megan a liar, and claiming Tory was trying to save the day in the aftermath of the shooting.

The defense also tried to make the point that Megan was lying about Tory because they're both artists, and she's looking to stay on top in the music game.

We've also obtained the jury sample verdict form that they'll use in making their decision ... the document has been circulating online as alleged proof to Tory's guilt or innocence -- but the jury has not yet made a decision, the document is only a guide.

The judge is letting the jurors decide if they want to come in on Friday to continue deliberations -- the day before Christmas Eve ... so it's possible deliberations could continue into next week if a verdict isn't reached today.

Tory Lanez might be losing sleep at home, cuz he appeared to make up for it in the middle of his Meg Thee Stallion shooting case ... dozing off as jury instructions were given.

Tory was in court for day 8 of his Los Angeles trial Wednesday -- and while he didn't take the stand, seems like he may have taken the opportunity to rest his eyes. Courtroom eyewitnesses say T.L.'s eyes closed, and his head bounced up and down several times like someone fighting off exhaustion.

To be fair, it only appeared to happen during the jury instructions -- which don't pertain to Tory -- but still ... he's the one on trial!!!

As for the rest of the proceedings, closing arguments are set to begin after the court comes back from lunch.

As we reported, it's been an emotional trial, Meg teared up during her testimony as she told the jury, "I wish [Tory] would've just killed me if I knew I'd have to go through this." She reiterated several times she saw Tory with the gun before getting shot.

Kelsey Nicole Harris, the other woman in the car with Tory and MTS during the 2020 shooting, caused fireworks when she almost immediately asked for immunity when called to the stand.

Megan's bodyguard -- who was supposed to offer "devastating evidence," according to Megan's attorney, Alex Spiro, has seemingly gone missing ... and never testified.

A lot's gone down so far ... no wonder it looked like Tory's needin' a pillow!!!

Kelly Clarkson is looking for some serious protection from a woman she claims made multiple unwanted visits to her home ... asking a judge for a restraining order.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kelly's requesting a TRO against 56-year-old Huguette Nicole Young ... and the singer also wants her family, her nanny, and her house manager protected from the alleged trespasser.

The docs, filed by her attorney Ed McPherson, say the alleged harassment started at the end of October -- and Michael Lopez, who says he's been running Kelly's security for the past 5 years, claims Young has shown up to her home at least 18 times, often leaving gifts and notes for Kelly.

Lopez claims Young left an assortment of items on Kelly's porch -- including things like dog toys, stickers, plants, and seeds.

The legal docs claim another security guard once told Young she was on camera and is trespassing, and they say she apologized but kept returning to the home after the warning.

Kelly's asking a judge to keep Young at least a football field away from her home, job, and children's school.

As we reported, police got involved after Kelly's security finally called LAPD to file a report ... and law enforcement sources told us the department's Threat Management is investigating.

Kelly Clarkson says a strange person is showing up to her house, trespassing on her property and leaving her unwanted gifts ... so, now she's getting the police involved.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... for the past month, the same person's been popping up at Kelly's L.A. area home, going up to her porch and dropping things off for her.

We're told they're leaving behind cards, plants and other random items for Kelly ... even though she told cops she's never met them before, and doesn't know who the stranger is.

Our sources say Kelly has yet to come face-to-face with the intruder, but we're told her security was concerned enough to call LAPD to file a report ... and now LAPD Threat Management is investigating.

Cops see the person's alleged behavior as very troubling -- they don't know yet if it's a fan who means no harm, or a situation that could escalate into something far more sinister.

Our sources say Kelly's got surveillance footage of the person dropping stuff off on her porch ... and LAPD is trying to identify them for a background check, and to assess potential threats.

Danny Masterson was all smiles after leaving the courtroom, holding hands with his actress wife, Bijou Phillips, who was also grinning.

The actor was peppered with questions about the trial as he walked away from the courthouse, but he just smiled and kept it moving.

Danny and Bijou had a pep in their step ... and he clearly looks happy with the trial result.

His trial attorney Philip Cohen tells TMZ ... "l am so thankful for the incredible care and commitment that the jurors showed in this case. This trial was about nothing other than the credibility of the three accusers and that credibility could only be determined by comparing, contrasting and focusing on the ever evolving statements given by the women."

He adds, "The vote count says it all and it is a true testament to our justice system that the jurors were able to see through all the inflammatory noise and focus solely on what was truly important."

Danny Masterson's rape trial has come to an end ... a judge has declared a mistrial after a hung jury.

Masterson was in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday waiting to hear a verdict, when the jury announced it deadlocked. The judge then declared a mistrial.

The jury began deliberations 2 weeks ago after 4 weeks of testimony from alleged victims. They had a break because of Thanksgiving, and two jurors were replaced on Monday with alternates after testing positive for COVID.

It's unclear if prosecutors will decide to try the actor again.

He was facing a maximum sentence of 45 to life behind bars if found guilty of the charges.

As we reported, Masterson was charged back in 2020 with 3 counts of rape, with the alleged victims claiming the incidents occurred between 2001 and 2003 ... right in the middle of the run of his sitcom, "That '70s Show."

Masterson's former attorney, Tom Mesereau, told TMZ at the time ... "Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify."

The actor pled not guilty to the charges ... and while he never testified in his own defense, he and his legal team maintained that the incidents either didn't happen or were consensual.

For the first time since he was arrested for allegedly trying to kill a man ... Cain Velasquez will be back competing in combat sports -- a judge just ruled he can participate in a Lucha Libre wrestling match next week.

Velasquez -- who was granted bail earlier this month after spending over nine months behind bars following accusations that he attempted to shoot Harry Goularte -- had asked a Santa Clara County court earlier this week to allow him to head to Arizona on Dec. 1 so he could participate in the Dec. 3 event.

The request was met with opposition from prosecutors ... but on Tuesday, a judge ruled he could, in fact, make the trip.

The judge, according to MMAJunkie, is allowing the 40-year-old former UFC star to wrestle without a monitoring device ... though Velasquez must pay for a police officer to monitor his movements for the duration of the trip -- which is expected to end on Dec. 4. He'll have to put his monitoring device back on then.

The event will go down at Mullett Arena in Tempe ... though it's unclear who Velasquez will be wrestling against.

Trey Songz is on the police's radar in New York after a woman claims he brutalized her last month -- a claim he's calling BS on ... TMZ has learned.

NYPD sources tell us the alleged victim filed a report in late October, claiming Trey punched her in the face repeatedly while inside a bowling alley bathroom. We're told she also alleges TS dragged her by her hair ... and that she was taken to the hospital for what cops noted were visible minor injuries.

Our sources say the woman is a worker at this establishment, but it's unclear what might've precipitated this. There's not much context beyond her account ... although, our sources say the woman recognized Trey and identified him by name to the police after the fact.

In any case ... we're told there's now an active case for this, and the cops are interested in talking to Trey at the very least. This is certainly not the greatest news for him, considering other accusations hurled at him these past few years. An NYPD spokesperson confirms to TMZ that the investigation into this is ongoing.

As we've reported ... Trey was sued for rape recently, but the case was dismissed over a statute of limitations. There've been other instances of alleged sexual impropriety attributed to the singer as well -- all of which he's denied and characterized as a shakedown.

He's also been accused of being violent with people -- including women -- in the past.

Amber Heard has been treated atrociously by the public -- vilified and harassed -- and it's gotta stop now ... so says Gloria Steinem and more than a hundred others.

The famed feminist and 130 others have signed onto an open letter, condemning "the vilification of Ms. Heard and ongoing online harassment of her and those who have voiced support for her [sic] have been unprecedented in both vitriol and scale."

Steinem and co. go on ... "We condemn the public shaming of Amber Heard and join in support of her. We support the ability of all to report intimate partner and sexual violence free of harassment and intimidation."

Thing is ... the jury in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case rejected all of her claims of abuse and, even decided her claims were not only false ... they were malicious.

Nonetheless, Steinem and others challenge the verdict, saying it indicates "a fundamental misunderstanding of intimate partner and sexual violence and how survivors respond to it."

As you know, A.H. was ordered to cough up $10.35 million dollars for her defamatory claims. J.D. was ordered to pay $2 mil for the defamatory claims his lawyer made.

It's undeniable ... the vast majority of the public ended up siding with Depp and many did indeed viciously attack Amber, especially on social media.

Amber is now living abroad with her daughter ... presumably to break free from all the drama and attacks.

Megan Thee Stallion isn't letting anyone screw up her shot at an American Music Award -- not even her own label, and a Texas judge is backing her up by granting a restraining order.

Megan filed legal docs to get the restraining order against her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, and her distributor 300 Entertainment. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Megan claims 1501 made "threatening and retaliatory" moves to block Megan from using her own music in connection with the AMAs ... which will be handed out this coming Sunday.

Of course, Megan's been battling 1501 on a bunch of fronts -- most notably, they're in a legal war over her contract. As we've reported, Meg believes she's satisfied the terms and should be a free agent, but 1501 insists she still owes more recordings.

She doesn't specify what 1501 and/or 300 Entertainment allegedly said or did to mess with the AMA broadcast on ABC -- but a judge heard enough to grant the temporary restraining order. Both companies are now blocked from interfering with her music being used on the award show.

Megan is up for Favorite Female Hip Hop Artist, and voting for the award ends tonight. It's interesting, there is a court hearing scheduled where the label will have a chance to tell their side of the story. Of course, that date is next Tuesday ... 2 days after the AMAs will have aired.

Cain Velasquez was nothing but smiles and relief after finally getting out of jail on Tuesday night -- giving a huge hug to a friend, and saying he feels "appreciative" and "blessed."

Velasquez had been locked up since Feb. 28 -- after authorities say he fired a gun at Harry Goularte, a man who had been accused of molesting one of the UFC legend's close relatives.

But, following a lengthy hearing Tuesday afternoon, a judge set Velasquez's bail at $1 million ... and he posted the bond several hours later, giving him his first taste of freedom in over eight months.

Velasquez will now have to follow multiple restrictions while out on bond -- including wearing a GPS monitor -- although it was clear on Tuesday night, Velasquez was very happy to finally be out from behind bars nonetheless.

"I just feel blessed, you know?" Velasquez said. "Ready to go home, be with the loved ones -- family, friends."

The 40-year-old promised to "make something positive of this terrible situation," and thanked all of his fans and former coworkers for their support. His friend even joked about getting him some Taco Bell.

Velasquez is still facing 10 criminal charges in the case -- including 1st-degree attempted murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

A judge has just granted Cain Velasquez bail in his attempted murder case ... paving the way for the UFC legend to be out from behind bars for the first time in over 8 months.

Velasquez's bail was set at $1 million ... and, assuming he posts it, the judge also ordered the former fighter to wear a GPS monitor, and to stay away from the alleged victims in the case.

The 40-year-old has been locked up since Feb. 28 -- after authorities claimed he shot at Harry Goularte, a man who had been accused of molesting one of Velasquez's relatives.

Attorneys for Velasquez had argued for months that he should be granted bail -- though prosecutors vehemently opposed, saying he was still a threat to Goularte.

At previous hearings, judges had sided with the prosecutors ... and denied Velasquez bail. But, at a proceeding in a Santa Clara, Calif. courtroom on Tuesday, a judge ultimately ruled in favor of bail, citing, among other things, Velasquez's clean prior criminal history, and his status as a father.