Crime

12:21 PM PT -- Temporary victory for Robert Kraft ...

Florida 15th Judicial Circuit Court Joseph Marx has BLOCKED the release of the Kraft video -- for now -- kicking the matter down the road. A hearing has been set for later this month.

Florida prosecutors say they WILL release pixelated video of Robert Kraft and other men inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa where they allegedly received illegal sexual services ... but Kraft has filed an emergency motion to block the release.

The Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County has filed new court docs saying he is obligated to release the footage shot inside the Day Spa to the media as a matter of law.

The New England Patriots owner has been battling like hell to keep the video under wraps for weeks arguing several angles -- he claims the footage was illegally shot and also says the release will taint a potential jury and prevent him from getting a fair trial.

But, prosecutors say in Florida ... state law requires disclosure of this type of evidence when requested by the media -- even though it includes explicit sexual images.

As we previously reported, prosecutors say the footage -- shot by a surveillance camera inside a massage room -- shows Kraft receiving sexual services in exchange for money on two separate occasions.

Officials say the cameras were covertly installed as part of a sting operation investigating possible human trafficking at the Day Spa.

Kraft claims the prosecutor had previously assured the court the video would not be released until a judge had an opportunity to analyze the issue ... and now he clearly feels prosecutors have mislead the court about their true intentions.

So, what does it all mean? The case will go in front of a judge TODAY at 11:30 AM PT -- and the judge could rule from the bench immediately.

And, there's more ... one of the patrons of the Day Spa who claims he was unknowingly recorded by the surveillance cams while receiving a legitimate massage has also filed docs seeking to block the release. He claims he had disrobed in the room and fears that private footage will humiliate him.

11:34 AM PT -- Michael Avenatti has waded into the Jussie Smollett drama down in Chicago, saying he almost got directly involved when the case was at its peak in February. Avenatti explains -- in a statement he posted and then deleted from Twitter -- that counsel for the Osundairo brothers reached out to him to see if he could potentially help 'em out.

Avenatti says he ultimately declined, but along the way ... he says he reached out to Kim Foxx to give her a heads-up about his possible involvement as a courtesy. He insists there's nothing improper about this, as he claims it's routine.

There's more -- Avenatti goes on to slam R. Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, saying SG is trying to muck up the Kelly case by personally attacking Avenatti over his own legal woes. What's more, Avenatti says Greenberg is "attempting to create a smokescreen to distract away from the mountain of evidence" Avenatti claims the Cook County State Attorney has against the singer to prove he abused underage girls.

Avenatti says the evidence will speak for itself, adding that he hopes Kim Foxx and co. will bring justice to Kelly's alleged victims. He goes further in praising her, saying she and her staff are "extremely professional, unbiased and focused on the delivery of justice."

It's almost a word-for-word counter to Greenberg's claim that Foxx's office is barely functioning in chaos in the ongoing fallout of the since-dismissed Jussie case.

R. Kelly's legal team thinks Kim Foxx calling the singer a "pedophile" before he's even been given a fair trial is a clear look into how her office is run ... totally dysfunctional.

Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... Foxx's texts to a fellow staffer -- in which she implicitly referred to his client as a pedo in comparing his case to Jussie Smollett's -- was outrageous, considering Kelly hasn't been convicted of any such crime.

Greenberg says Foxx is letting her personal biases color the way she characterizes Kelly's case -- which she implied was a way bigger deal than Jussie's in her correspondence that was made public Tuesday.

As we reported ... Foxx called Jussie a "washed up celeb" who'd been slapped with 16 felony counts, while going on to indirectly compare that to R. Kelly only getting charged with 10 counts ... saying there was a discrepancy there as far as priorities go.

Of course, her office ultimately dropped all the charges against Jussie.

Greenberg tells us that the fact that Foxx is even having these types of conversations with her staff in this manner paints a larger picture about the Cook County State Attorney's Office ... he calls it "dysfunctional and chaotic." He also thinks Foxx lacks objectivity.

That said, Greenberg says he isn't calling for Foxx to be removed from the Kelly case just yet. He tells us there's evidence and discovery he wants to get his hands on first before doing anything.

Greenberg adds ... once he and his team get everything they need, they'll make a decision on what to ask as far as Foxx's involvement is concerned.

Tommie Lee's past is coming back to bite her ... because prosecutors say her lengthy rap sheet means she's ineligible to enter a mental health program -- which would have spared from time behind bars.

We broke the story ... the 'Love & Hip Hop' star submitted a petition in her child abuse case to allow her to get treatment for a serious mental illness, which she claimed she was diagnosed with around the same time she was charged with child abuse in Georgia.

Tommie got her answer -- no can do.

According to a new legal doc obtained by TMZ ... the Assistant District Attorney determined Lee's criminal history and background -- along with other evidence, facts and allegations -- "make her an inappropriate candidate for an accountability court."

As we reported ... Tommie was indicted in January on multiple child abuse charges for allegedly assaulting her middle school-aged daughter. She's facing 7 charges, and since she's been shut down for the mental health program -- she could get up to 54 years in prison, if convicted.

Lee was arrested twice before in connection to this case -- once for the alleged assault in October, and again less than 24 hours later for violating a court order to stay away from her kid.

She was also tossed back in jail in March for showing up drunk for a hearing in the case.

As for her mental health issues ... Tommie told our Raquel Harper she's bipolar in a 2016 episode of "Raq Rants."

An ex-NFL running back is facing murder and child abuse charges in the death of a 5-year-old girl -- after officials say he killed her through rigorous exercise used to punish her.

28-year-old Cierre Wood -- a former star running back at Notre Dame -- appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom Tuesday in the death of his girlfriend's daughter, La'Rayah Davis.

Davis died on April 9 -- and prosecutors say it's because Wood forced her to complete a hellacious workout routine unsuited for a 5-year-old.

Officials say Wood claimed Davis had behavior issues -- he also described her as "chunky" -- so to punish her, Wood would force her to run wind sprints and do sit-ups and wall squats inside their apartment.

Officials say Wood admitted Davis couldn't complete a second round of sit-ups on April 9 -- and flailed backward, smacking the back of her head against the floor.

She then got up and swayed -- and then collapsed. She was pronounced dead a short time later.

Officials say Wood had a slogan for the punishment -- calling it, "Learning through fun."

The girl's mother, Amy Taylor, has also been charged with murder -- and officials say she also abused the child before her death.

Prosecutors say Taylor admits the 5-year-old was complaining of chest pains in the days before her death -- after her mother had sat on her chest and stomach to punish her for misbehaving.

Officials say Taylor also admitted to having "popped" her daughter on the day she died.

During Tuesday's hearing, the judge says photos of Davis' body show severe injuries -- and told the court, "Once you’ve seen them, you can’t ever unsee them."

The case is due back in court soon.

As for Wood, he was a stud running back in college -- rushing for 1,102 yards as a junior in 2011. He was suspended in 2012 for 2 games for violating team rules.

Wood signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2013 but never panned out.

Soulja Boy's home was burglarized a few days after he was thrown in jail for a probation violation ... and the suspects allegedly used his stolen iPhone to brag about the crime on social media.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a caretaker for Soulja Boy's Agoura Hills home called police Monday night to report a burglary. We're told thieves made off with tons of jewelry, cash, a phone and other personal items.

Sources close to Soulja Boy tell us the stolen jewelry is worth over $500,000 -- a mix of chains, earrings and luxury watches ... and the burglars cleaned out the safe in his room, stealing another $100,000 in cash.

We're told the thieves broke into Soulja's home shortly after we first reported the rapper was back in custody after violating his probation.

And, get this ... cops say a group of 5 men went on Soulja's IG Live bragging about the theft, and police believe these are their burglary suspects -- and they gained access to SB's Instagram through his stolen phone.

We're told the men from the video have also been reaching out to Soulja's celebrity friends ... telling them they're his new artists, claiming Soulja wants their music video posted on the celebs' IG accounts and hounding them for features.

And, because Soulja's behind bars, we're told he hasn't heard a single thing about the burglary.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn't buying what prosecutors are selling when it comes to the video police secretly recorded inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa -- and ultimately it could determine if the video is ever released to the public.

Kraft filed a request for prosecutors to hand over all evidence about the "number of individuals who were recorded on video in the massage rooms while receiving lawful massages or were not charged."

Translation: How many innocents were caught in the crossfire during the 5 days cops continuously recorded video inside all the rooms at the spa?

Well, in docs obtained by TMZ, the prosecutors say Jupiter PD recorded 2 men and 2 women on January 20 and 21 who received "lawful massages."

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors and Jupiter PD are now being sued by one man who says he was recorded in the spa, but did not engage in any sexual activity while there. He believes his civil rights were violated, and his attorney, Joe Tacopina, tells us his client isn't the only one. Tacopina says he's spoken to 17 people who went to the spa on the up and up during the time cops were recording.

Kraft's legal team also seems to think prosecutors are lowballing the number of people recorded getting legit massages. They're now demanding the state reveal how many people were recorded but "were not charged."

9:20 PM PT -- Hardwick's attorney just fired back at Cadence13, telling us, "Cadence13 is the only party in breach - the company owes Chris $3 million - and filing this lawsuit is their last ditch, desperate attempt to try and avoid fulfilling their obligations to pay him."

Chris' lawyer continues, "The truth is that Chris has delivered over 30 podcast episodes since October 2018 and hasn't been paid a dime, while Cadence13 has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad revenue during that period."

In an interesting twist ... Hardwick's attorney says, "There is extraordinary irony in the fact that the law firm representing C13 in this action is the same one which conducted a comprehensive investigation and exonerated Chris of the baseless allegations (of emotional and sexual abuse) referenced in the filing."

"Chris and his team will take all appropriate steps to recover the millions of dollars which C13 contractually owes him."

Chris Hardwick is being accused of bowing out of a deal to produce a weekly podcast and failing to pay back the rest of his $1 million cash advance ... this according to a new lawsuit.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, podcast company Cadence13 claims Chris signed a two-year deal in early 2018 to create four podcasts per month ... but the company claims Chris stopped making new episodes in June of last year after an actress accused him of emotional and sexual abuse.

As we've reported ... Chris' ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, accused him of sexual and emotional abuse during their relationship. Hardwick denied the accusations.

In the suit, Chris' podcast partner claims it paid the comedian $1 million in advances, but claims he's yet to pay the full amount back after stopping his weekly "ID10T" podcast.

6:48 PM PT -- Kim Foxx has responded to the release of her messages, stating, "After the indictment became public, I reached out to Joe to discuss reviewing office policies to assure consistencies in our charging and our use of appropriate charging authority."

She continues, "I was elected to bring criminal justice reform and that includes intentionality, consistency, and discretion. I will continue to uphold these guiding principals."

State's Attorney Kim Foxx called Jussie Smollett a "washed up celeb" just 2 weeks before dismissing all charges against him for allegedly triggering a massive police investigation based on a big, fat lie.

Foxx sent text messages to certain staff members -- this according to CBS2 in Chicago. The upshot -- she seems to be saying the Grand Jury grossly overcharged the "Empire" actor, especially relative to another celebrity defendant -- R. Kelly.

Foxx wrote ... "Pedophile with 4 victims 10 counts. Washed up celeb who lied to cops, 16." As we reported, Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

As you know ... the State's Attorney dismissed all 16 counts against Jussie and suggested he had performed community service -- which he did not. Point of fact ... he worked at Jesse Jackson's charity for a few hours the weekend before charges were dismissed, but it was not court ordered or monitored.

The City of Chicago is now suing Jussie for all the investigative costs and various penalties, which could amount to half a million bucks.

Foxx says in the texts this was a clear case of overcharging ... as she put it, charging Jussie with 16 counts on a minor felony "becomes exhibit A."

The texts were first reported by CBS Chicago's Charlie De Mar.

Originally Published -- 4:51 PM PT

"Happy Gilmore" star Christopher McDonald just got the equivalent of a penalty stroke in his DUI case ... TMZ has learned.

According to court records ... the actor pled guilty to driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher stemming from his October 2017 arrest near Lake Arrowhead, CA. He was sentenced to 35 hours of community service, 3-year summary probation, and an alcohol education program which he already completed ... and a day in jail.

The good news -- he got credit for time served in a jail cell following his arrest ... so he doesn't have to spend any additional time behind bars. His other misdemeanor DUI charge was dropped.

We broke the story ... Christopher, best known as Shooter McGavin, got busted after driving his Porsche off the highway, taking out a gas meter and crashing into an embankment.

He then posed for this disheveled mug shot, which could be explained by the fact he was seen chugging beer at an Oktoberfest earlier in the day.

McDonald was also arrested for DWI in 2013 in North Carolina.

R. Kelly may be jailed again, and soon ... after missing child support payments that have already landed him in jail once before.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the singer has missed his last 2 months of child support payments to his ex, Drea Kelly. He's required to pay $20,833 a month to his ex.

As you know, Kelly was jailed in early March after racking up a $161,633 delinquency ... this after he was arrested on sexual abuse charges.

Kelly was released after he cleared the debt after someone covered his tab. After getting out, Kelly went back to court and asked a judge to lower the $20k amount, claiming he could no longer afford it. The judge said he'd hear arguments but that won't happen until May 8. In the meantime, he owes $20k+ a month and it's clear ... the judge means business.

We broke the story ... Kelly was paid $22k for a 1-hour nightclub performance in Illinois earlier this month -- which Drea was totally cool with ... asking the media to take it easy on him while he tries to make some money. Turns out, he didn't turn over the loot.

3:15 PM PT -- There is ONE bit of good news for Mellie. We found out her Tennessee arrest was dismissed in court about 3 months later ... so, she won't be doing any additional time there.

"Gypsy Sisters" star Mellie Stanley could be sent behind bars for her role in what cops say was a massive coupon scam out of Kentucky -- 'cause she's pled guilty ... and is looking at serious prison time.

According to a court clerk, Mellie pled guilty last week in Fayette County, KY to 2 felonies -- theft by deception and criminal possession of a forged instrument.

The charges stem from a huge coupon scam authorities say Mellie and her hubby were involved in back in 2017 ... in which she was accused of swindling thousands of dollars worth of gear from Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us.

The good news (for her, anyway) -- Fayette County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Prosecutor Andrea Williams tells TMZ ... 3 other charges Mellie was facing in the bust were dropped per the terms of a plea deal.

That being said, she's still facing the possibility of as much as 5 years in prison for the theft charge alone. On top of that, the Commonwealth says she'll have to pay $23k in restitution.

You might recall ... Mellie was also nabbed in Tennessee in a very similar bust, and that case is still pending. Her Kentucky sentencing hearing is set for June.

Justin Bieber's new home already has an old problem -- a woman was arrested on the property surrounding his and Hailey's Beverly Hills mansion.

Law enforcement sources confirmed to TMZ ... the woman somehow managed to get on the premises of Justin's crib. Police managed to apprehend her Sunday and slapped the cuffs on her on the sidewalk outside the home.

We're told the suspect, who appeared to be chatting on a cell phone before cops confronted her, told police she lived at the house.

Justin and Hailey just bought this lavish estate last month, ending a long search for a new place to call home.

It's the second time in 3 weeks cops arrested a woman for getting too close to the Biebs ... just last month in Laguna Beach a woman got busted after barging into JB's hotel room.

Former "Teen Mom" star Ryan Edwards is a free man again ... after spending nearly 3 months behind bars following his arrest for allegedly skipping out on a bar tab.

According to sources at the Hamilton County Jail in Tennessee ... Edwards was released Monday for time served. We're told he was originally sentenced to serve until November, but the judge cut it short. He'd been locked up since late January after cops arrested him for theft of services under $1,000.

We broke the story ... Ryan spent a winter afternoon at Bud's bar in Chattanooga and racked up a $36 bill for 6 Jack Daniel's whiskey, but allegedly walked out without forking over the money.

The bartender called police, who recognized Edwards' face from photos in their Criminal Justice Portal and went and picked him up.

Ryan's mug shot was in the portal for prior offenses ... including drug possession and a probation violation.

Ryan and his wife, Mackenzie Standifer, announced their exit from 'Teen Mom' in 2018 after revealing she was pregnant with their first child. She gave birth to a baby boy in October.

The Jupiter Police Dept. and Palm Beach prosecutors are being sued by a patron at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa ... claiming the secret videotaping inside the spa is a gross violation of the customer's federal civil rights.

The lawsuit was filed anonymously -- listing the plaintiff as John Doe. Doe was not charged with a criminal offense like Robert Kraft, but he was at the spa during the period where video cameras were rolling in every room. Doe says in the suit he did not engage in any sexual activity in the spa.

The lawsuit describes a crazy way in which the cameras were installed. According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the Jupiter PD staged a false "suspicious package" warning on January 18 that triggered an evacuation of the spa. While everyone was outside, cops came in and installed secret cameras in the private rooms. Doe went in the next day to receive a massage.

Doe says in the lawsuit, filed by top attorney Joe Tacopina, that the secret recordings violate his civil rights ... especially since everything he did was on the up and up.

Doe claims the risk the videos will become public is high, because of the celebrities who have been snared in the case.

The lawsuit also says the cops were sleazy in the way they investigated ... sometimes following patrons who drove away and stopping them for minor traffic violations and grilling them about what went on inside the spa. The suit claims cops also rifled through trash to find napkins and tissues with semen.

He wants damages and an injunction, ordering authorities to destroy all videotapes.

Notre Dame WR Javon McKinley is about to be off the hook in his drunken cop-punching case ... TMZ Sports has learned the Irish stud just struck a deal with prosecutors to have his charges dropped.

We broke the story ... McKinley -- a SUPERSTAR back in his high school days -- allegedly battered 2 officers in a drunken attack near ND's campus last February.

Cops say they were dispatched to help McKinley, who was passed out in the back of an Uber at 3:50 AM ... but he became combative when they tried to give the assist.

Cops say as they were walking McKinley -- who they say reeked of booze -- back to his dorm room, he freaked out, punched a male and a female officer and tried to flee.

When they eventually found the 20-year-old ... they arrested him and hit him with 2 counts of misdemeanor battery and 1 count of misdemeanor underage drinking.

But, prosecutors tell us they agreed to drop the charges on Monday as long as McKinley completes a misdemeanor pretrial diversion program. It's all but a done deal at this point.

We're told Javon must complete a substance abuse evaluation, perform 40 hours of community service, pay fines and fees and keep his nose clean for the next 2 years.

For his part, prosecutors say McKinley was eligible for such a sweet deal because he "sought out and apologized to each person involved in the incident."

Lori Loughlin is ready for a fight, because she's just entered her plea in the case that could land her in prison for years ... and that plea is NOT GUILTY.

Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, entered pleas to all charges -- conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Lori and Mossimo did not appear in court ... they entered their plea via court documents filed by their attorneys.

Olivia Jade's parents both face a minimum of 4 years and 9 months in prison ... and that's even if they cop a plea.

As we reported, the U.S. Attorney out of Boston gave all of the parents an ultimatum ... either take a plea or the case would go to the Grand Jury and additional charges would be filed, and that's exactly what happened.

Our sources say a plea bargain is still on the table.

And, as we reported, Felicity Huffman has already copped a plea and faces a minimum of 4 months in prison. As for the disparity -- it's all based on the amount of money the parents paid. Felicity paid $15,000 to have her daughter's SAT test rigged. Lori and her husband allegedly paid $500,000 to an athletic coach to get their 2 daughters into USC.