Fairly Legal

As A$AP Rocky rots in a Swedish jail for weeks without being charged with a crime, you gotta wonder how another rapper -- a white rapper -- accused of the same crime and more spent a relative nanosecond behind bars before being allowed to go on his merry way and leave the country.

You may recall a story TMZ broke a year ago in May, when G-Eazy was arrested in Stockholm after punching a security guard in a club and snorting coke using a $100 bill.

G-Eazy was arrested for assault, possession of drugs and use of narcotics. There was no video of the attack, yet prosecutors allowed him to strike a deal a day-and-a-half later ... he pled guilty to violent resistance, a crime of violence against an official and illegal drug possession. His sentence -- a $10k fine and probation. He was also ordered to pay the security guard $900.

That was it ... G-Eazy was allowed to leave the country, no muss, no fuss.

Now, compare that to A$AP. There's VIDEO of the assault -- actually 2 videos, the other being the alleged victim assaulting Rocky first -- yet prosecutors and the judge have kept him in jail for more than 2 weeks as they continue to "investigate" and decide if he'll be charged. As we reported, prosecutors mistakenly played their hand Friday and said he was going to get indicted.

A$AP faces 6 years in prison for his alleged assault. G-Eazy spend less than 2 days behind bars.

And, one more thing. Remember, back in 2015 Snoop Dogg was arrested in Sweden after being snatched out of his car because cops believed he was driving under the influence. He was forced to pee in a cup and was released after cops determined he was clean. Snoop, who was there for a concert, said it was a case of DWB and he would never return to the country.

So, what gives?

When the O.J. Simpson verdict came back not guilty, his team of lawyers celebrated the huge victory, but in no way did they disrespect the victims' families ... at least according to Shawn Holley.

The famed attorney -- who was part of Simpson's legal "Dream Team" -- tells TMZ ... Kim Goldman's recent claim that Johnnie Cochran leaned toward her while smiling and said "Gotcha" after the verdict was read, simply didn't happen.

Holley says she doesn't think Ron Goldman's sister is lying, but is mistaken or possibly misremembering the incident. She insists Cochran was always respectful of victims and their loved ones and insisted his colleagues be respectful too.

Holley says she was seated in between Kim and Johnnie ... so she knows what went down and what didn't. She also says the team was very aware any exuberance they showed could look bad, so they discussed being respectful before the verdict was read. Shawn adds, "there's no way in the world" Cochran made such a comment.

Goldman made the claim on Howard Stern's show earlier this week when he asked how sickened she was in the courtroom watching people celebrate the not guilty verdict. She also called the Dream Team's celebratory behavior "disgusting" and "beyond reproach."

Jussie Smollett is pushing back against the appointment of a special prosecutor for his criminal case in Chicago ... and he's doing everything he can to stop it.

The actor's legal team filed three motions Friday, obtained by TMZ, seeking to overturn the appointment of a special prosecutor ... arguing it would expose Jussie to double jeopardy.

According to the docs, Jussie is trying to reverse the order issued last month by a Chicago judge, who faulted Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx and laid the groundwork for Jussie possibly facing prosecution for allegedly faking the now infamous "attack."

Jussie's attorney, Tina Glandian, takes issue with the judge's apparent conclusion Jussie is guilty of staging a hate crime. In the docs, Jussie's legal team claims the Osundairo brothers attacked Jussie, got caught and then blamed him.

According to the docs, Jussie's attorney is floating the idea Abel and Ola Osundairo were motivated by homophobia, and she cites text messages from Ola degrading another man as a "fruit." His legal team is seeking grand jury testimony from the two brothers.

It's another twist in the ongoing Smollett saga ... as you know, the charges against Jussie were essentially dropped, even after the grand jury indicted him on 16 felony counts of lying to cops.

We broke the story ... Jussie claimed he was attacked by 2 masked men who beat him and put a rope around his neck while screaming homophobic and racial slurs. Police called BS.

Tyrone Crawford can head to Dallas Cowboys camp without the worry of a court case hanging over his head ... TMZ Sports has learned he's a cut deal to get his bar brawl charge dropped.

We broke the story, the defensive end wrecked several bouncers at a Panama City Beach, FL bar on March 15. In crazy video we obtained ... you can see the 6'4", 290-pounder mauling people.

We also learned later in the night Crawford shoved at least TWO officers when they were in the process of making an arrest.

But, Tyrone was only hit with a misdemeanor charge of affrays for the altercation ... and court records now show he entered into a pre-trial diversion program to get the charge dropped.

Unclear what the specifics of the deal are ... but it usually means Crawford will have to complete classes and/or pay fines and fees to uphold his end of the bargain.

It's good news for Crawford -- the Cowboys begin training camp in just EIGHT days ... but Tyrone ain't completely out of the woods yet. The NFL still has to make a ruling regarding their investigation into the incident.

Crawford is one of the Cowboys' most unsung players ... as a team captain in 2018, he started 15 games and recorded 5.5 sacks. He's expected to be a key player for Dallas this season.

Katy Perry just arrived to an L.A. Federal Courthouse where a trial is set to take place involving her song "Dark Horse."

Perry -- wearing a mint-colored suit -- is expected to testify in the trial today in what has been a lengthy legal battle.

As we reported ... Katy was sued by Christian rapper Flame back in July 2014 after claiming Katy's 2013 hit track "Dark Horse" is a total rip-off of his Grammy-nominated gospel track "Joyful Noise." Flame's music label uploaded the music video in 2008 to YouTube and it has nearly 4 million views.

According to the suit ... Flame says Perry not only jacked their religious music ... she also destroyed his reputation in the Christian music world because they're now associated with the anti-Christian witchcraft and imagery that appears in the "Dark Horse" music video.

Flame claims Katy jacked the underlying beat ... but she's calling BS, saying there are no significant similarities.

New Memphis Grizzlies stud Josh Jackson just caught a break in his resisting arrest case ... TMZ Sports has learned he just copped a plea deal and will likely have his case dropped.

Jackson was arrested at the Rolling Loud Music Festival in Miami, Florida back in May after cops say he entered a VIP area without proper credentialing.

Cops say when he refused to leave ... they cuffed the 6-foot-8, 200-pound NBA player and put him on a golf cart.

But, police say Jackson got up and walked away ... and when cops told him to stop, he started running.

The 22-year-old was eventually caught and subdued ... and he was later hit with two charges -- felony escape and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

But, Jackson was able to get the felony charge dropped a couple weeks ago ... and now, we've  learned he's cut a deal to get the misdemeanor charge dropped too.

The Miami State Attorney's Office tells us Jackson has agreed to complete some kind of pre-trial diversion program in exchange for having the charge dropped.

The diversion program usually consists of either community service or some kind of life-improvement courses (like alcohol education or something like that) to help offenders grow from their legal mistakes without having a conviction on their record. 

Josh was the 4th overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Phoenix Suns. He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in his first season in the desert.

R. Kelly's alleged sex slaves should not be in danger of going hungry or becoming homeless anytime soon -- even with the singer behind bars -- but they claim someone's cut them off from Kelly's funding.

Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary have built up a nice nest egg during their time with Kelly by working as his assistants ... according to sources connected to the women and Kelly -- and they should have plenty of money to hold them over for awhile.

We're told while they were Kelly's live-in "girlfriends," they also helped him by handling bookings and other business matters, and he paid them for it. He also gave them a weekly stipend and they were able to save much of that cash because he paid for everything anyway.

Their problem has been getting access to that money. Their attorney, Gloria Schmidt, tells us one of Kelly's staffers typically gives Azriel and Joycelyn cash -- but she says since his arrest that staffer's gone MIA.

One thing they don't have to worry about is a roof over their heads. Our sources say Kelly's Chicago condo in Trump Tower is all paid up through the end of the year, so the women can live rent-free for several months.

We broke the story ... both women responded to reports they'd been evicted by recording a video showing them hanging out inside the home, telling everyone they're living there free and comfortably, as always.

The vid came 3 days after Kelly was busted in Chicago on 2 new federal indictments, including charges for multiple sex crimes, racketeering and obstruction of justice.

Both Azriel and Joycelyn's families have expressed concern for their daughters, with Joycelyn's parents saying they haven't been able to get in touch with her. 

As we reported, it's no secret where they will be Tuesday -- not only will they attend Kelly's bond hearing in federal court in Chicago, but they are planning to hold a news conference afterward with their attorney, Gloria Schmidt. 

R. Kelly's alleged sex slaves will be right behind the embattled singer Tuesday in federal court when he goes before a judge in his new sex crimes case, and they even plan to address the media. 

Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary will present a united front during Kelly's bond hearing ... according to Gloria Schmidt, the attorney for the women. 

After the hearing, we're told they, along with Schmidt, will hold a news conference to react to whatever happens inside the courtroom. As we've reported ... Kelly was arrested last week in Chicago on a new round of federal charges, including sex trafficking, obstruction of justice and racketeering.

Federal prosecutors in NY also want him there to face the 2nd federal indictment -- and they've made it clear to the court, they want Kelly held in custody through his trial.

Amid all the allegations they're Kelly's brainwashed sex slaves ... Joycelyn and Azriel continue to publicly support the singer -- just as they did back in February when they walked hand-in-hand into court. They sat in the first row, reserved for friends and family, during that bond hearing for his arrest on sexual abuse charges in Cook County.

Here's video of Dak Prescott lying to our face (though we understand why) ... telling TMZ Sports he doesn't know much about the criminal case involving his teammate, Ezekiel Elliott. 

Suuuuure ... 

The Dallas Cowboys QB insists we know more than he does when it comes to the security guard who's pressing charges against Elliott ... though that's hard to believe considering Dak and Zeke are BFFs. 

Prescott was out at Avra in Beverly Hills on Sunday night (one of the hottest restaurants in town) where we asked how Elliott was holding up after 19-year-old Kyle Johnson filed a criminal complaint against the RB for knocking him to the ground at the Electric Daisy Carnival. 

"You know more than me," Prescott repeatedly told us ... "Wasting your time."

Here's what we DO know ... Johnson went to the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. this weekend over the May 19 altercation with Elliott. Unclear exactly what he's alleging, but it seems pretty obvious he's pursuing an assault charge. 

Elliott's legal team claims Johnson doesn't really care about justice -- insisting the 19-year-old is simply trying to extort the NFL star for money. 

DMX is off the hook for a potential probation violation ... the feds found no wrongdoing on his part when he and his entourage mistakenly drove away from a restaurant in someone else's Corvette.

TMZ broke the story ... DMX and his crew left a Los Angeles restaurant in another diner's car following a mix-up with valet, and the car was reported stolen. But, the bigger issue for DMX was a question of whether he was behind the wheel. 

The feds felt X could've violated probation in his tax evasion case if he was the one driving the "stolen" Vette.

X's attorney, Murray Richman, tells TMZ ... DMX met with his probation officer and everything is fine. We're told the rapper's in the clear as far as a potential probation violation goes.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York -- which prosecuted DMX for tax evasion -- declined to comment on its investigation. 

R. Kelly was arrested Thursday night for multiple federal sex crimes in 2 different states.

Kelly was arrested Thursday in Chicago on charges contained in a 13-count indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois. The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District says the indictment includes charges of child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice.   

He was arrested in Chicago while walking his dog. Various law enforcement officials assisted in the arrest, including Homeland Security and Chicago Police.

But, that's not all. There's a second federal indictment out of Brooklyn, where Kelly is reportedly charged with various crimes, including sex trafficking. That indictment is expected to be unveiled Friday.

The singer will be arraigned in Illinois and then taken to New York where he will face a judge in that case.  

R. Kelly was in court in Chicago in June on new state charges, where he pled not guilty to 11 felonies related to sexual assault and various abuse in Illinois. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office charged him with 5 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, 4 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and 2 counts of criminal sexual assault.

In those legal docs, Kelly is accused of forcing contact between his penis and the alleged victim's mouth and committing an act of sexual penetration on a victim listed only as "J.P." The alleged incident occurred in January 2010, when the victim was under the age of 18.

Tyreek Hill is now in a full-blown custody war with his baby mama -- who's demanding sole custody of their days-old twins amidst allegations the NFL star physically abused their older son. 

For years, it seemed Hill and ex-fiancee Crystal Espinal had buried the hatchet and were working together following Hill's domestic violence conviction stemming from a 2014 incident with Espinal. 

But, things took a turn ... she had claimed Hill physically abused their 3-year-old son in disturbing audio tapes that surfaced earlier this year. Hill can also be heard making menacing statements to Espinal. 

Espinal gave birth to twins earlier this month -- but it's clear she has no intention to amicably co-parent with Hill. She's filed new court docs demanding sole custody with Hill only getting supervised visits. She also wants the K.C. Chiefs star to pay child support. 

She's also demanding a paternity test to prove Hill is the father. 

In the court docs, filed in Kansas, Espinal also notes she and Hill "are not married, never have been married, and do not intend to be married."

It's the latest chapter in a rocky relationship for the two ... back in 2015 Hill pled guilty to domestic violence after she alleged he roughed her up in 2014.

The couple has also been under investigation over allegations they were responsible for injuries their 3-year-old son suffered during the NFL season.

For his part, Hill denied all of the accusations in a newly released, 11-minute audio that was secretly recorded by Espinal sometime in the past year.

Toni Braxton took an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth Thursday, and told a jury she's heartbroken that the guy on trial stole her engagement ring and other precious jewelry.

A guy who works for an airplane cleaning service is on trial for allegedly rifling through a piece of carry-on luggage she forgot after landing in L.A. We're told three other employees from the cleaning service say they were on the Delta jet and saw the defendant pilfer Toni's $1 million engagement ring, 4 super expensive watches -- including 2 Rolex's and a Cartier -- and 2 pairs of vintage earrings. The grand total of the theft -- $2.5 MILLION.

The bad news -- the jewelry is still missing. Birdman gave Toni the ring when he proposed to her in February 2018. As for why the ring wasn't on her finger during the JFK to LAX flight ... because her fingers tend to swell when she flies as a result of a medical condition -- lupus.