Fairly Legal

Julius Jones has another shot at freedom, which is why Vic Mensa is trying to get maximum attention on the death row case ... and setting up a face-to-face meeting with him.

We spoke to the Chicago rapper about his newest song, 'SHELTER,' which references Julius directly ... while also touching on police shootings in the Black community. He said it was important for him to get the message out now, because there's a lot on the line in March.

Not too long from now, Julius will have another hearing with the parole board in Oklahoma, which has the power to grant him clemency and save his life. Vic tells us he's actually heading down to the state penitentiary to speak with Julius, and lift his spirits.

Vic says his plan is to raise awareness and put pressure on Oklahoma government officials, including Gov. Kevin Stitt. He's open to meeting with Kim K too ... who also went down to death row to visit Julius last year, and has been advocating for his freedom.

BTW, check out Vic's anecdote about how he became aware of Julius' case ... in what sounds like true fate. Apparently, Julius was well aware of Vic before the latter took up his cause.

In case you hadn't heard, Julius was arrested at age 19 in 1999 in connection to the shooting death of a white man ... for which he was ultimately tried and convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to death, but Julius has maintained his innocence since day 1.

Offset seems to have misplaced not just the keys to a new car, but the whole damn ride itself -- at least that's what a car company's claiming in court.

Platinum Transportation Group -- an L.A.-based luxury rental service -- is suing the Migos rapper over what it says is the shady disappearance of one of their new Bentleys he rented in the Spring of 2020 ... which they say somehow went missing when it was time to turn it back in.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, PTG claims it drew up a contract with Offset in May, recognizing him as a repeat customer of theirs. At first, Platinum says the deal was to rent their new 2020 Bentley Bentayga for a couple days at a rate of just less than $600 a day.

They claim that initial rental period kept on getting pushed out by Offset ... and a new deal was allegedly made to have him hold onto the whip 'til late July.

Anyway, right after the 4th ... Platinum claims Offset told them he didn't have the car in his possession, didn't know who had the car last, or where the hell it was. It had vanished -- or at least that's what Platinum is claiming he told them, with no rational explanation.

They also claim Offset stopped making payments on the car after his lease was up on July 25, despite the fact he had failed to return the car. Platinum says he's refused to pay a penny more.

In the lawsuit, Platinum says it filed a police report, but we haven't been able to track down that report.

The company's looking for major damages -- claiming it's out more than $100k in missed revenue from not being able to rent the Bentley.

Robinhood's got blood on its hands, according to the parents of a young trader who took his life ... falsely thinking he was $730,000 in the red, and now they're suing.

The parents of 20-year-old Alex Kearns filed suit Monday against Robinhood, accusing the stock-trading app of wrongful death in the college student's June suicide.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Alex's parents claim he killed himself one day after Robinhood posted a notice restricting his account showing he was in the hole a whopping $730k and told him he needed to come up with around $170k ASAP.

Alex's parents claim the initial notice was misleading and inaccurate, and they say Alex was shocked at what he owed and tried to contact Robinhood for clarification, but all he got was a boilerplate email response.

Alex killed himself by stepping in front of an oncoming train, and his parents claim he left a suicide note wondering ... "How was a 20-year-old with no income able to get assigned almost a million dollars' worth of leverage? There was no intention to be assigned this much and take this much risk, and I only thought I was risking the money I actually owned."

His parents claim the note ended with, "A painful lesson. F**k Robinhood."

The saddest part ... Robinhood allegedly emailed Alex the day after his suicide, suggesting he didn't actually owe 6 figures.

In addition to wrongful death, Alex's parents are also suing Robinhood for unfair business practices.

A Robinhood spokesperson tells us, “We were devastated by Alex Kearns’ death. Since June, we’ve made improvements to our options offering. These include adding the ability to exercise contracts in the app, guidance to help customers through early assignment, updates to how we display buying power, more educational materials on options, and new financial criteria and revised experience requirements for new customers seeking to trade Level 3 options. "

We're also told the app's added live voice support for customers and changed protocols to get faster help for customers who email questions.

The TikToker who put Gorilla Glue in her hair is still living with her nightmarish mistake, the glue brand's remedies aren't working ... and now she's lawyering up.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Tessica Brown's weekend trip to the ER was another disaster, and Gorilla Glue's tip to use rubbing alcohol to remove the product was a colossal failure.

Our sources say Tessica spent 22 hours in the ER and the staff was dumbfounded. We're told healthcare workers put acetone on the back of her head, but it burned her scalp and only made the glue gooey before hardening back up.

Tessica, we're told, was instructed to keep trying the potential remedy back home, but rubbing alcohol still hasn't proved to be the cure.

Remember ... Tessica says her hair's been rock solid for about a month after substituting Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive for her normal hair spray. GG told us the quickest possible remedy was rubbing alcohol.

Our sources say Tessica's hired an attorney and is weighing her legal options against Gorilla Glue. We're told the label on the product she used says do not use on eyes, skin or clothing ... with no mention of hair, which Tessica feels is misleading.

GG says all of its products are considered permanent and the packaging states it too ... but we're told Tessica felt it was okay because the product said multi-use.

Tessica's already crowdfunding for her medical bills ... a GoFundMe has raised $9,000 and counting.

Jesus Christ has no place in the George Floyd murder case ... at least that's what Derek Chauvin’s defense lawyers are asking the judge to make sure of in his upcoming trial.

Lawyers representing Chauvin -- the ex-cop accused of murdering Floyd -- filed a motion asking the judge to keep a bunch of things out of his trial, including one seeking to stop the other side from drawing any comparisons between George and Jesus.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Chauvin's defense asks the judge for an order precluding any expert from likening Floyd's death to the crucifixion of Christ. The defense claims such analogies would be prejudicial.

According to the docs, the defense also wants to stop Floyd from being referred to as a "victim" and they don't want anyone labeling Chauvin as a "defendant."

The defense doesn't want police officers taking the stand to talk about how they would've handled the case differently, either, and they don't want paramedics testifying about the cause and manner of death.

Kodak Black is extending his charitable streak by reaching out to the families of the FBI agents killed in the line of duty this week in Florida.

TMZ has learned the Florida rapper -- fresh out of prison after his Presidential pardon -- had his attorney, Bradford Cohen, send a letter to the FBI Miami Division offering to pay college tuition for the children of the 2 agents fatally shot in Sunrise, FL.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, Cohen says Kodak knows what it's like to lose loved ones and grow up in a single-parent home, and he wants to make sure the mourning families don't ever have to worry about sending their kids to college.

Kodak's attorney says he has a friend in the FBI's Miami office who told him special agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger each have minor children -- and Cohen relayed that to KB.

The agents were serving search warrants Tuesday when they were killed and 3 other agents were injured.

Alfin is survived by a 3-year-old child and Schwartzenberger is survived by a 4-year-old and a 9-year-old.

We don't know if the families will accept Kodak's offer -- we've reached out to the FBI, but no word back.

The ex-wife of the former cop who was arrested for killing George Floyd says she doesn't feel safe these days ... even after divorcing Derek Chauvin.

The former couple's divorce was finalized this week and Chauvin's ex, Kellie, revealed she's been unable to work since last May due to "safety concerns" ... but she doesn't specify what her concerns are.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Kellie also says it's unclear when she will be able to return to work full time, and she doesn't even know what kind of work she could find.

The May 2020 date Kellie mentions in the divorce docs is significant ... that's when Chauvin had his fatal interaction with Floyd on camera, a video seen around the world.

As we reported ... when Kellie, a former Mrs. Minnesota, filed for divorce just days after Chauvin was charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death, she mentioned the need for safety and privacy for her family.

The SoulCycle instructor who described herself as an "educator" in order to get the COVID-19 vaccine may have committed a crime ... but we've learned it's unlikely she'll be charged.

Stacey Griffith's looking at a possible perjury charge -- or a charge of offering a false instrument for filing -- if it's shown she knowingly submitted a false statement on the vaccine eligibility form ... this according to the New York State Dept. of Health.

Both charges are misdemeanors, and if convicted ... she'd face up to 1 year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.

A law enforcement source connected to the matter tells TMZ ... it would be rare for prosecutors to charge someone with a crime under these circumstances.

Our source says Griffith could easily make the case she thought she legitimately qualified for the vaccine. In other words, she is a teacher ... and although her conduct clearly violates the spirit of the rules ... it probably falls short of criminality.

As we reported ... Griffith caught flak after sharing a since-deleted photo of herself getting the first dose of the Moderna vaccine, while most school teachers have still not been vaccinated in NY.

She apologized afterward, claiming to have made a "terrible error in judgment."

Casey Anthony will mark the 10-year anniversary of her acquittal by partnering up with a couple of producers for a documentary about her daughter's murder.

Casey -- along with producers Tamra Simmons and Ebony Porter-Ike -- is currently developing a documentary about the notorious Florida vs. Casey Anthony trial.

Casey will be an executive producer for what's being dubbed an "authorized" documentary in which Casey will offer her viewpoint of the gruesome death of her 2-year-old Caylee Anthony in 2008.

Of course, Caylee's mother was charged with her murder, but was acquitted in 2011 ... sparking outrage and condemnation throughout the country.

Casey and her co-producers say she's "finally ready to clear her name, bring justice to her daughter and begin the process of establishing her daughter's legacy in a different light."

The producers claim "many of the revelations will be shocking," and will answer questions much of the nation has had since the trial. Remember, Casey did not take the stand.

They don't teach this in law school, but they do in playas school -- a Florida man turning on the charm with an attractive judge only to fall flat on his face.

Demetrius Lewis appeared in Judge Tabitha Blackmon's Fort Lauderdale courtroom Thursday for his bail hearing. Due to COVID, it was held remotely, but Lewis was still determined to kick some game to the Judge.

He opened with, "Judge you so gorgeous. I just had to tell you. I love you, I love you." Yeah, Lewis poured it on pretty thick, and actually got a smile out of Judge Blackmon ... who seemed receptive. But, watch the video ... seconds later she totally burst his bubble.

Lewis is facing charges of attempted burglary and ecstasy possession, and also got vocal during the prosecutor's remarks, blurting out, "Whaaat??!!" Yes, just like Lil Jon.

Entertaining for sure, but he might wanna let a lawyer do the talking. Judge Blackmon set his bail at $5,000 ... and Romeo's still sitting in jail.

Great news for Josh Jacobs and the Raiders ... the massive gash the NFL star suffered on his forehead after crashing his car in Las Vegas last month is healing up well.

The running back showed off his face in videos on his social media page Wednesday ... and you can see, there's hardly any remnants of the huge cut that was so prevalent on his noggin just four weeks ago.

As we previously reported, Jacobs sustained the wound after wrecking his ride at around 4:42 a.m. on Jan. 4 near the Vegas airport.

Cops say when they came on to the scene ... they saw the 22-year-old was bleeding from a "large laceration" on his forehead. Officers added the injuries were so bad, Jacobs had to be transported to the hospital for treatment.

Jacobs -- who just hours before the crash had dominated in a game against the Denver Broncos -- was ultimately arrested over the wreck ... with cops believing he had been drinking prior to getting behind the wheel.

Prosecutors, though, announced just a few days after the accident they were NOT charging the NFL player with DUI ... and instead, hit him with one misdemeanor count of Duty of Driver to Decrease Speed Under Certain Circumstances.

Panic! At The Disco's original bassist is in a heap of trouble out in Sin City -- because the guy's facing multiple felonies for drugs and possession of a gun.

According to a Las Vegas Metro PD report, obtained by TMZ, Brent Wilson was pulled over on Jan. 22 after cops say he crossed 3 lanes of traffic without a turn signal, cutting off oncoming traffic.

During the stop, the officer says he saw a bag with a white substance inside sitting out in the open in Wilson's center console.

Ya know what that means ... time for a search, and cops say they discovered substances consistent with coke and heroin in his pockets and in the car, as well as a scale and a lot of little baggies.

On top of that, the police say they found a loaded handgun too. Plus, they say Wilson was already on probation for a previous offense. They hauled him off to jail, and he's been charged with possession with intent to sell and possession of a gun by a prohibited person.

His attorney, Dustin Marcello, tells us it's too early to make a call on the merits of the case.

O.J. Simpson is still DEEEEEEEP in the hole to the Goldman Family -- only paying $132,849.53 ... despite reportedly owing more than $70 MILLION.

... it's all according to new court documents filed by Fred Goldman in Nevada in the hopes of collecting from the ex-NFL star in the state where Simpson now lives.

Of course, back in 1997 ... O.J. was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the Goldman family after he was found liable in the killing of Ron Goldman, who was slashed to the death along with Nicole Brown Simpson in Brentwood, CA in 1994.

Interest has caused the initial $33.5 million to balloon -- it was at $57 mil in 2015, according to Goldman and there are reports that number has now cracked $70 mil.

Simpson spent several years in prison for a 2007 armed robbery -- but in 2018, after he was released, Fred Goldman claimed O.J. had resumed making money from signing autographs for collectors and he wasn't handing over the proceeds to satisfy the judgment.

So, he's filed new court docs in Nevada to keep the heat on Simpson, who regularly flaunts a carefree life on social media which shows him bouncing from golf course to golf course in the Las Vegas area, instead of hunting for "the real killer."

Former Ohio police officer Adam Coy, who shot and killed Andre Hill in his own garage, has been indicted for murder.

A grand jury just indicted Coy for murder in the commission of a felony and felonious assault, plus two counts of dereliction of duty and failing to turn on his body cam.

Coy was arrested Wednesday and his first court appearance is set for Thursday.

As we reported ... Coy, a 19-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, fatally shot an unarmed Hill inside his own garage Dec. 22 while responding to a non-emergency call.

Coy and the other responding officer allegedly did not turn on their body cams before the fatal shooting, but the body cams have a feature capturing the minute before it's turned on ... and that's how the shooting was recorded, though there's no audio.

The body cam video shows Coy and the other officer waiting 10 minutes before helping a dying Hill.

Taylor Swift's new album is creating a major mix-up between folks looking for her tunes, and those looking to get their goblin on ... at least according to a fantasy park.

The owners of the Utah-based park called Evermore are suing Tay-Tay for trademark infringement -- claiming they own the rights to the name “evermore,” and saying Swift trampled said rights when she started selling merch with that branding to promote her album by the same name.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the Evermore park camp claims it's poured many millions of dollars into building the facility, branding and selling its own gear since the park was conceived in 2014 and, of course, when it opened in 2018.

The park owners say they've got 'Evermore' trademarked for a number of different purposes -- including clothing and other merchandise they sell ... all of which they claim was diluted once TS dropped 'evermore' in late 2020.

Evermore park brass alleges since the record came out, their search results are way down in Google, and that it's legitimately causing confusion in the marketplace ... which they say is hurting their bottom line.

They also allege Tay's team was aware that the trademark for 'Evermore' was snatched up, but proceeded with their own campaign anyway ... figuring they'd drown out the park.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is getting hit with one of the side effects of holding elected office in the 21st century -- she's getting sued for blocking someone on Twitter.

The freshman Republican congresswoman from Georgia just got slapped with a lawsuit by a political action committee that's actually pretty popular online. It's called MeidasTouch, and they're known for criticizing politicians -- especially right-leaning ones -- and getting unique hashtags trending every now and then ... much like The Lincoln Project or Really American.

Anyway, according to the docs -- obtained by TMZ and filed by Ben Meiselas and Michael Popok -- Meidas says Greene blocked them at some point after Jan. 6 ... which they believe was in direct response to her being ticked off about their scrutiny/commentary of her for allegedly posting conspiracy theories.

As a result, Meidas says it's unable to view any of her tweets from her official account -- @mtgreenee from which she more often tweets personal views -- which they claim is unconstitutional, because she's a public political figure.

In the suit, Meidas claims she can't ice someone out just because she disagrees with them.

It's interesting ... they cite another famous example of political Twitter blocking involving Trump ... who was sued a few years ago for blocking someone in a similar situation. In that case, the federal court ruled it was unconstitutional to block specific viewpoints in this way ... although Trump's lawyers are trying to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.