Legal

Eric Garner's widow dissolved into tears after testifying in the mock murder trial of the cops who killed her husband ... and the powerful moment is part of a new TV special.

As you know, no one was put on trial for the death of Eric Garner, so REELZ network got a courtroom, a judge, lawyers and witnesses. And, on Saturday, viewers can see what a trial might have looked like.

It's especially relevant now, given what could be a number of criminal trials over the next few months. Four cops will stand trial for the death of George Floyd, 2 cops will stand trial for the death of Rayshard Brooks, and there may be a belated trial in the horrific death of Breonna Taylor.

Garner's widow, Esaw Garner Snipes, who testified in the trial, sobs as she recounts how her husband died after being put in a police chokehold, and the pain and sorrow is worsened by the fact their daughter died right before the mock trial.

There are shocking similarities between the Garner case and the George Floyd case ... and the latter will go to trial, so the dry run is, at the very least, interesting.  By the way, there is no verdict ... it's up to the viewers to decide.

Kim Kardashian West's makeup line is on the verge of giving up a treasure trove of beauty secrets to another cosmetics company ... or at least that's what one company fears.

KKW Beauty is being sued by Seed Beauty, a company that claims there's a concrete threat KKW will disclose Seed's metaphorical secret sauce ... if Kim's company gets bought out.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Seed Beauty says it went through this with Kylie Jenner's old parent company, King Kylie, back in 2016 when Seed used its valuable trade secrets to grow that brand ... which was acquired by Coty in 2019. In the suit, Seed says it warned Kylie not to disclose trade secrets during that deal, but didn't get much reassurance.

Now, with Coty seemingly on the verge of acquiring Kim's beauty line, Seed Beauty says it's again deathly afraid Coty, the competition, will gain Seed's precious intel from KKW.

SB claims it started working with KKW Beauty about a year after it started working with Kylie Cosmetics.

Now, Seed Beauty is asking the judge for an injunction blocking KKW from revealing its trade secrets and business practices to Coty ... and other damages.

The Kansas City cop who shot and killed Cameron Lamb is now charged with manslaughter, but Lamb's parents are expecting even more consequences after getting a face-to-face promise from President Trump.

Laurie and Aqil Bey were at the White House earlier this week with their attorney Lee Merritt, and had a chance to discuss Cameron's death with the President. They say he was polite and attentive during the meeting, and said he would put the feds on the case.

They say it was a heartening convo, and now they're hoping POTUS follows through. There are a lot of loose ends in the puzzling case.

Thursday evening, a grand jury indicted officer Eric DeValkenaere, charging him with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action for the reckless death of Cameron, a father to 3 young boys.

ICYMI ... Cameron was backing his truck into his garage last December when 2 plain-clothed officers burst onto his property without a warrant and without announcing themselves as cops.

DeValkenaere says he fired the fatal shots because he thought Cameron had a gun in his hand, but his partner has testified Cameron's hand was empty.

Merritt says the feds need to step in and investigate the entire KCPD, because the family has good reason to believe a gun was planted in the garage to make it look like Cameron was armed.

Rapper Hurricane Chris -- best know for the hit track, "A Bay Bay" -- has been arrested for murder in Louisiana ... TMZ has confirmed.

The rapper, who's real name is Christopher Dooley, Jr., was arrested and booked for second-degree murder after cops say he shot and killed a man early Friday morning at a Texaco gas station in Shreveport, Louisiana ... according to the Shreveport PD.

Cops say Chris initially told them there was an alleged struggle over his car, so he shot the man multiple times in self-defense. But, cops say surveillance footage painted a much different picture ... resulting in Chris' arrest for second-degree murder.

What's more ... cops say the car Chris was riding in was actually reported stolen out of Texas, which resulted in the rapper also getting booked for illegal possession of stolen things.

XXXTentacion's been gone for 2 years, but there's still fresh family drama brewing -- his half brother's suing XXX's mom, and accusing her of stealing.

Jodi Kavney, the mother of XXX's half brother, Corey Pack, claims XXX's mom, Cleopatra Bernard, concocted a plan to siphon off millions of dollars from her own son's trust -- money the late rapper set aside for Corey ... according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Jodi, who's suing on behalf of Corey, says in docs, XXX left behind assets in excess of $50 million ... including a trust that lists Corey as 1 of 3 beneficiaries. She claims the breakdown is supposed to be 50% to Cleopatra, 25% to XXX's brother, Aiden Kerr ... with Corey getting the remaining 25%.

But, in the lawsuit, Jodi claims Cleopatra cut a deal with XXX's baby mama which helped her cut Corey out of his portion of the estate. Jodi's now seeking to recover assets she claims were "improperly and surreptitiously transferred" by Cleopatra to herself.

Jodi's suing for $11 million in damages and may try to triple that amount ... if she can prove this was intentionally done. She also claims Corey's entitled to ownership rights to XXX's record label, Bad Vibe Entities.

Jodi's attorney, Natasha Shaikh, tells TMZ ... they originally sent a demand letter to Cleopatra seeking the $11M but says that fell on deaf ears ... so they filed the lawsuit to let the court decide. We reached out to Cleopatra for comment ... so far, no word back.

TMZ broke the story ... XXX was gunned down back in June 2018 while shopping for motorcycles at a South Florida dealer. Four suspects were arrested and indicted for the rapper's murder.

Former NHL player Daniel Carcillo -- a Stanley Cup winner -- claims he was terrorized and sexually hazed during his time in junior hockey ... and now, he's suing over it.

Carcillo, in a new lawsuit filed in Toronto, alleges that when he was in the Ontario Hockey League -- one of the 3 major leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League -- he was violently hazed on a daily basis.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, 35-year-old Carcillo says he was peed and spat on by veterans, smacked in the bare butt by a sawed-off goalie stick, and also forced to attend and participate in sex orgy parties.

And, those are some of the more tame allegations brought up against the OHL and CHL in the suit ...

Carcillo -- who played for the OHL's Sarnia Sting and Mississauga IceDogs before his NHL career began -- was joined by another plaintiff in the lawsuit, and together they claim they've seen terrifying hazing going down in all parts of the CHL.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs -- who say they represent a greater class of junior hockey league players as well -- say players were forced to masturbate in front of their teams as well as ordered to sexually assault teammates.

The plaintiffs also allege players had to consume others' saliva, semen, feces and other bodily fluids. They also say they know of players shoving brooms, hockey sticks and food into each others' anuses.

Carcillo claims all of the hazing he went through was unchecked by members of his teams' coaching staffs and front offices ... and even after investigations into the incidents, Carcillo says nothing was done.

In the lawsuit, Carcillo says the experiences left him "permanently traumatized" ... and is asking for damages from the CHL -- among other things.

Billie Eilish is getting long-term court-ordered protection against an obsessed fan she says kept showing up at her home.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge just made Billie's temporary restraining order a permanent one for the next 3 years. The order, granted Thursday, prevents the man from attempting to contact or coming within 100 yards of the singer or her parents.

We broke the story ... Billie got a temporary restraining order last month after claiming Prenell Rousseau began showing up over and over again at her residence, ditching a face mask and touching the doorknob and doorbell without gloves, making Billie and her fam fear for their lives.

The permanent restraining order also bars Rousseau from assaulting or harassing Billie and her family, or from getting close to her workplaces.

George Floyd's name seems to be heading toward foundation status -- 'cause his family is already making moves to lock up the rights to something called just that ... TMZ has learned.

George's brother, Philonise Floyd, recently applied to trademark the phrase "The George Floyd Foundation" -- and if he gets it, he'll be able to use it to teach and advocate.

Philonise is looking to put "The George Floyd Foundation" on downloadable software for mobile phones that educate on police reform, downloadable media files featuring documentaries about George and other digital materials like DVDs, and audio and video files.

He also wants to feature "The George Floyd Foundation" on a website dedicated to police reform, as well as downloadable documents and PDFs with information on the topic too.

But, there's more -- if Philonise gets this trademark, he'll also be able to slap that phrasing on COVID-19 face coverings, sweatshirts and T-shirts, baseball caps ... and even charitable fundraising events to support families who've fallen victim to police brutality.

Philonise also reveals in the application that he and the fam aim to conduct business seminars on social justice and police reform. So, yeah ... it looks like they're going for the works here in terms of starting a full-blown nonprofit for their deceased relative.

MLB slugger Miguel Sano is callin' BS on claims he kidnapped and beat up a man in the Dominican Republic ... but the Minnesota Twins say they're now looking into the allegations.

In a new video released this week ... an attorney accused the 27-year-old infielder and other men of taking his client on May 6 and beating the hell out of him.

In the footage, which is in Spanish, the attorney also says Sano and the others threatened to hang his client in the alleged attack.

But, Sano released a flat-out denial to D.R. newspaper El Nuevo Diario this week ... saying he played no role whatsoever in a kidnapping or beating of the man.

Sano, in fact, accused the alleged victim of sexually assaulting his younger stepbrother. The MLB player also told El Nuevo Diario the attorney is trying to blackmail him over the allegations ... asking for serious cash to make the case go away.

Sano says he's going to be filing a lawsuit against the attorney over the allegations.

According to the newspaper, Sano was asked to go to the prosecutor's offices in the D.R. on Tuesday over the claims ... but the Twins player says that meeting got postponed to next week because he received notice too late.

Sano's team, which inked the third baseman to a 3-year, $30 MILLION extension this offseason, told the StarTribune it's aware of the accusations and is gathering information.

Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot was most likely severely disoriented by fog seconds before slamming into a hillside in January -- that's what federal investigators are now saying.

In new documents released Wednesday ... NTSB officials say they have evidence showing Ara Zobayan thought he was ascending when the chopper was actually going downward.

In the docs, investigators claim moments before the crash ... Zobayan told air traffic control he was "climbing to four thousand," and air traffic control asked him what he intended to do once he got to that altitude.

The NTSB says Zobayan never responded -- he had crashed by that point. Interestingly, according to the docs, the helicopter was actually descending rapidly at the time Zobayan said he was climbing.

Investigators add they believe "the pilot could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles" due to the dense fog in the area.

As we previously reported, Zobayan, Bryant and seven others on board hit the the ground at 184 MPH ... instantly killing everybody.

Autopsy results showed Zobayan was NOT high on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash ... and in the new docs, investigators say Zobayan's girlfriend told them he was in great shape before the accident.

Vanessa Bryant and surviving family members of other passengers have sued the Zobayan and Island Express, which chartered the helicopter.

Various pilots have said Zobayan should not have been flying at such a high rate of speed in blinding fog.

It should be noted, investigators did NOT reveal an official conclusion on the cause of the crash. A final NTSB report with that information is expected to be released later.

Brandishing his semi-automatic rifle at a group of black men who'd simply parked near his home was enough for a white guy in Virginia to get busted by cops.

This wild incident was caught on camera Sunday in Partlow, VA, where Dennis Lee Berry allegedly approached a squad of motorcycle riders who pulled over near his home to catch their breath and re-route.

One of the bike riders says Mr. Berry sprung up on them with an AR-15 cocked and seemingly loaded ... asking if they lived there, and then demanding they leave.

Some of the interaction was captured on video ... the men (4 of whom are black) tried talking him down, and questioning why he seemed so ready to shoot. They also pointed out they didn't appear to be on his property.

Welp, after some back and forth -- without any bullets flying -- the cops showed up and sorted things out. Berry was arrested for brandishing a firearm. He was released on bond, and the rifle was seized as evidence.

According to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office -- which responded to the call -- the bikers had, in fact, pulled into a private neighborhood ... but acknowledge the men didn't see a "No Trespassing" sign when they did it.

2 Chainz's got more drama over his ATL joint, and this time it's beef with the keepers of Pablo Escobar's name ... who are suing the rapper over the restaurant's name.

Pablo Escobar's family company, Escobar Inc., is suing 2 Chainz for at least $10 million ... claiming his Escobar Restaurant and Tapas -- there are 2 of 'em in Atlanta -- violates federal law with its unauthorized commercial use of the Escobar name and likeness.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, the company's pissed 2 Chainz slapped the family name across his famous ATL restaurants, their websites and social media -- not to mention the clothing sold with the restaurant name.

The company says it owns the trademark to Escobar's likeness and 2 Chainz is using the name to generate traffic and sales. The company says, for example, 2 Chainz has Escobar's likeness painted inside one of his joints. They also point to the menu featuring "Escobar Crab Cakes."

Escobar Inc. wants the 8-figure damages, minimum, plus an injunction blocking use of the name and likeness at the restaurants.

As we've reported, 2 Chainz's ATL joints have had plenty of unrelated drama recently, stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

Breonna Taylor's family attorney wants Louisville police to follow in the footsteps of the NYPD and get rid of plainclothes officers ... something he believes could've saved her life.

One of the Taylor family's attorneys, Sam Aguiar, tells TMZ ... Breonna would still be alive today if plainclothes units were not the ones serving the no-knock search warrant that ended in her death.

The family's legal team thinks the search warrant would have been properly executed if the officers were in uniform. Aguiar says 16 neighbors claim the plainclothes officers didn't announce their presence before going inside, and he doubts things would've gone down the same if the cops were wearing badges.

The way Aguiar sees it ... when police "don’t put on the uniform and they don’t put on the badge, it lets them have the sense that they can just go rogue.”

Aguiar thinks the plainclothes units almost exhibit gang mentality. He says they beat down doors when executing search warrants, never announce themselves as police and make it difficult for bystanders to know they are police because they don't arrive in cop cars.

Louisville should take a page from NYC and disband plainclothes units, Aguiar says, and he thinks change could be on the horizon because over the last few years, the city's plainclothes units have fallen under tremendous scrutiny.

As you know ... Louisville has banned no-knock warrants in the wake of Breonna's death, and is now requiring the use of body cameras by anyone executing a search warrant. But, the Taylor family's attorney wants to see more reforms.

For instance, Aguiar says Louisville Metro PD needs to pay officers more, hire better ones, keep the best and get rid of the bad apples.

Andre Royo -- best known for his role as "Bubbles" on "The Wire" -- is about to live life in the single lane, his wife's filing for divorce after 22 years of marriage.

The actor's wife, Jane Choi, filed the divorce petition in L.A. County Superior Court to end the marriage, citing irreconcilable differences ... this according to docs obtained by TMZ. She lists the date of separation as December 5, 2019. They were married on November 21, 1997.

It seems this divorce case has all the makings of a smooth sailing -- they have 1 daughter together but she's not a minor. Jane also checked the box blocking the court from awarding either of them spousal support.

One of Jay-Z and Beyonce's songs, "Black Effect," leans heavily on a Jamaican artist, who claims she was never given proper credit or compensation ... despite being the leading voice on the track.

Dr. L'Antoinette Stines says she's renowned in Jamaica for "her artistry and wisdom" -- and to that point, she says the Carters sought her ought in March 2018 to provide dancers for a video promoting their upcoming tour.

According to a lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, Dr. Stines claims she hooked 'em up with dancers, and then Jay and Bey wanted to record her views on love. She claims she was told the interview would be used in the video ... "for promotional purposes" only.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, she says she was shocked when she heard "Black Effect" -- from The Carters' "Everything Is Love" album -- because the whole first minute of the track is just her voice.

Hearing herself on the song -- uncredited, mind you -- left Dr. Stines feeling "artistically raped" ... according to her lawsuit.

The doc claims a contract for her services was only thrust in front of her on the day of the shoot, and she alleges the Carters' reps told her not to worry ... after all, her interview would only be used for promotion.

So, she signed, but she's pissed she never got a chance to have it reviewed by her own lawyer -- and worst of all, claims she hasn't been paid a dime for her vocal work.

Dr. Stines is suing Jay and Bey for copyright infringement and violation of her right to publicity ... PLUS damages, of course. She also wants a writing credit, and everything that comes with that ... meaning, cash money.

The elderly man who was shoved to the ground by police officers in Buffalo was as badly injured as he appeared on camera -- he has a crack in his skull and, for now ... he can't walk.

Martin Gugino's attorney, Kelly Zarcone, says the 75-year-old suffered a fractured skull from the push and fall. She added that Martin is unable to get up on his own 2 feet for the time being while he recuperates. He was released from ICU last week, but remains hospitalized.

Zarcone also released a statement directly from Martin, who says ... "I think it's very unnecessary to focus on me. There are plenty of other things to think about besides me."

This is the same peaceful protester President Trump recently suggested -- without evidence -- might've been an Antifa-tied provocateur there to cause dissent and chaos. Martin's lawyer shot that down as completely false and incredibly offensive.

Meanwhile, on the legal front, the 2 officers who were charged with second-degree assault charges have pled not guilty, and remain suspended without pay.