Legal

Mikal Smith -- son of ex-NFL head coach Lovie Smith -- was arrested in Arizona this week after officials say he's been pimping, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 43-year-old -- who served as an assistant coach under his father with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Bucs -- was booked on Thursday for a slew of disturbing charges.

Officials tell TMZ Sports ... Smith is facing everything from pandering (another word for pimping) along with receiving earnings from a prostitute and sex trafficking.

He's also facing charges of money laundering and conspiracy.

The details surrounding the case are unclear -- we're working on it.

Mikal was a former college football player at the University of Arizona back in the day before getting into coaching.

He worked as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears when his father was the head guy over there ... and later followed Lovie to the Tampa Bay Bucs, where he worked with defensive backs.

Mikal also coached at Trinity International University before working at the NFL level.

A fired college baseball coach allegedly hijacked Twitter accounts and started a social media war with the school after he got the axe ... and now, the university is suing the guy over it.

Here's the deal ... Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Ill. says in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, it hired Rocco Mossuto to coach its baseball team back in 2014.

The problem ... the university says after officials canned the guy in 2020 -- he hoarded all of the team's Twitter account passwords and refused to give them back to the school for WEEKS.

In fact, the university claims during that time period ... Mossuto tweeted out a bunch of inflammatory things about the school from the official accounts -- blasting the sports programs on multiple occasions.

Eventually, the school says Mossuto returned the accounts ... but claims the drama didn't end there.

In the lawsuit, SXU says Mossuto created more accounts that were almost identical to the university's official ones -- with similar bios, pictures of the team mascot, and handle names -- and they say it was all an effort by the ex-coach to disparage the school.

Now, SXU is suing Mossuto for trademark infringement and conversion ... and is asking for unspecified damages.

Multiple attempts to reach Mossuto for comment were unsuccessful.

Mossuto had found some success coaching the Cougars before his termination this year ... his team won the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament in 2016 and was runner-up at the same event the following year.

L.A. County Sheriff's deputies gunned down a Black man in South L.A. this week -- which can now be seen in full view through new surveillance video that was just released.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump posted footage obtained by a security camera at a nearby home, not far from where 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee was shot multiple times and killed on the spot Monday afternoon. His death has come under scrutiny and sparked protests.

LASD says officers were attempting to stop Kizzee after they found he was "in violation of vehicle codes" while riding his bike. They say they pursued him when he fled ... and things escalated into a physical confrontation between Kizzee and at least one deputy, which you can see here.

The Sheriff's Dept. goes on to say that during the struggle, some items Kizzee was carrying fell on the ground ... one of which they claim was a handgun. LASD claims at that point, Kizzee broke free and tried fleeing once again, but officers fired multiple rounds and took him down.

Crump and others contend that even if a gun was in Kizzee's possession during the altercation, he didn't point it at them and was not a threat by the time he ran a second time. They're demanding Sheriff Alex Villanueva release the names of the deputies who fired the shots ... while also asking for their arrest and eventual prosecution. The case is under investigation.

Silento allegedly got loud and threatened people with a hatchet while trying to find his girlfriend ... and now he's facing felony charges.

The "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" rapper was arrested last weekend after a bizarre incident in which law enforcement sources tell us ... he walked into a house with a hatchet in hand as he looked for his GF.

We're told someone in the house screamed for help and others took him down and disarmed him. Our sources say shortly afterward, Silento's friend arrived and told him it was the wrong house ... and they fled as cops were called.

Police caught up with the rapper, though, and took him to jail. He's now officially been hit with 2 felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Charli XCX isn't taking any chances with an allegedly obsessed fan ... she just got court-ordered protection from the guy she says broke into her home and then got naked ... all over the place.

The "Boom Clap" singer claims the man tried to visit her at her L.A. area home twice last week -- and the second visit ended with him stripping down, jumping in her hot tub, and also strolling in and out of her bedroom.

Charli beelined it to court, filing for and getting a temporary restraining order against the suspect, who's from Wisconsin. She claims he's sent her hundreds of manic, obsessive and disturbing messages on social media -- but took it to the next level when he showed up at her pad on Aug. 24 and 25. The latter is when he bared all ... and Charli has that all on security footage.

Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers broadcaster Bill Hillgrove has been hit with a 2-game suspension over a wild DUI incident back in June.

The 80-year-old -- who's been calling Steelers games for 27 seasons -- allegedly crashed his Honda CR-V into a grocery store in Murrysville, PA around 5 PM on June 15.

Officials say Hillgrove smashed through 2 windows in the process -- but still went inside the store, got prescription medication and then returned to the vehicle, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Officials say Hillgrove left the scene and returned to his home -- where cops say he admitted to having "a couple of beers."

Officials say Hillgrove agreed to a breathalyzer and allegedly blew a whopping .16 -- twice the legal limit.

Hillgrove later told police the car "just got away from me."

He was charged with driving under the influence and he's due in court to be arraigned in October.

The mother of Trevor Ariza's 12-year-old son claims the NBA star has physically abused their child on multiple occasions and she's demanding a restraining order on the child's behalf, ASAP.

But, Ariza says the allegations are patently false -- and he's fighting back in court docs of his own.

The 35-year-old Portland Trail Blazers star opted out of the NBA restart in the Orlando bubble -- reportedly to spend time with his son.

Ariza and the mother of his child, Lana Allen, have been locked in a custody battle for a while.

But, Allen recently filed new court documents in Los Angeles accusing Ariza of carrying out a pattern of domestic violence against the child, dating back to 2019.

The details are graphic -- but the allegations are that Ariza, a strong, pro athlete, clearly crossed a line when dishing out corporal punishment on at least two occasions.

Allen claims she reported the alleged abuse to the LAPD, which documented the alleged injuries and looped in the Dept. of Child and Family Services.

In new court docs, Allen is requesting a restraining order against Ariza in hopes of keeping him away from the child.

She claims the child "fears" his father and is "not safe in his care."

Ariza has filed a response to the allegations -- strongly denying the accusations of child abuse and vowing to clear his name.

Ariza says it's Allen who's been alienating him from the child -- causing a rift in their relationship.

Ariza says, "what is occurring here is in fact [Allen's] abuse of the minor child by her relentless, cruel loyalty conflict for [the child], alienation campaign and selfishly driven attempts to interfere in father and son's relationship."

Ben and his associates just fleshed out their thoughts even further in a scathing rebuke of local Louisville law enforcement officials who appear to have tried getting her ex-BF, Jamarcus Glover, to falsely pin her as part of a crime syndicate ... this AFTER she'd died.

Ben and co. write, "This is why the Black community has no trust in America’s justice system. It’s enormously ironic that the accused drug dealer here acted with honor, refusing to falsely discredit Bre after her death -- even when offered the temptation of no prison time for lying, while prosecutors and police acted in the most egregiously dishonest and dishonorable way possible."

Ben goes on to say the police have already killed Breonna once, and now they're trying to do it again by killing her reputation and her good name. He adds, "Disgusting behavior by those who are supposed to be the protectors of justice."

The family of Breonna Taylor is rattled by the news of the shocking plea deal offered to her ex-boyfriend, according to their attorney, who adds ... they're losing even more confidence in Kentucky authorities.

Ben Crump came on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to discuss the bombshell news about local prosecutors in Louisville seemingly trying to smear Breonna with a false claim she was a criminal. That came out in a plea deal offered to her ex-BF, who was arrested on drug charges.

Crump says he's not buying prosecutors' claim the plea deal was merely a draft whipped up early on in negotiations. He tells us it's yet just another piece of evidence that local authorities were trying to sweep Breonna's killing under the rug from the very beginning.

Crump says the plea deal proves they were out to dirty up Breonna's character and says that's shaken her family's trust Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron will get them justice in the case.

He tells us bluntly -- Breonna's family is losing faith in the process, and not only because Cameron still has not announced charges against the officer involved in Breonna's killing.

Crump tells us there's no reason a clear answer shouldn't be reached in the next couple weeks, and insists the family only wants one thing -- equal treatment under the law. Plain and simple.

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend is going after Louisville police for the allegedly botched raid at her home that left Breonna dead, claiming he's the victim of police misconduct ... and he didn't actually shoot one of the officers.

Kenneth Walker filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday, asking the judge for a declaration of immunity from prosecution in the criminal case for firing a single "warning shot" after cops rammed the door to enter Taylor's apartment in the middle of the night back in March while executing a search warrant.

As you know ... police claim Walker's shot struck Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly in the femoral artery in his thigh, but his legal team refutes that.

Walker's lawyers say evidence indicates that police may have shot Mattingly as they were "firing wildly from various angles."

According to the lawsuit ... Walker was interrogated by police after the shootings and was then wrongfully and illegally arrested, detained, charged and prosecuted.

Walker now wants to avail himself of Kentucky’s stand your ground law, which he claims operates to prevent law enforcement from prosecuting him after he fired the shot in self-defense. In other words, it seems the lawyer is saying Walker had a right to fire a shot under the stand your ground law, so he would therefore be immune from criminal prosecution.

According to the docs, he's specifically concerned about being hit with an attempted murder charge that was previously dropped without prejudice.

Taylor's boyfriend is also seeking damages for assault, battery, false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, abuse of process and negligence stemming from the incident.

As we've reported ... none of the officers involved in the raid and shooting of Taylor have been arrested, though one cop -- Brett Hankison -- has been fired.

An anti-masker with an attitude refused to leave an Orange County, CA grocery store, saying she was determined to serve the store's manager with a fake Dept. of Justice document, accusing the store of violating the law by requiring masks.

The woman clearly doesn't understand she's not "serving" a document ... rather, she's pushing a phony flyer and other docs she claims are from the DOJ.

The Dept. of Justice has issued several warnings about these fake documents -- some embossed with the DOJ emblem -- which purport to say people with disabilities don't have to wear masks.

Fact is ... the courts have not squarely ruled on whether people with disabilities can enter private stores without masks. In normal times, they might have a case, but given that the coronavirus doesn't overlook anyone, it seems likely a court would rule in favor of public safety.

Josh Groban can breathe a sigh of relief for the next 5 years ... 'cause that's how long his restraining order against an obsessed fan will last.

The actor/singer had previously gotten a temporary restraining order, but according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge has now granted him a permanent order against an obsessive female fan named Shawna Marie Laing. The restraining order will last until August 27, 2025.

TMZ broke the story ... Groban beelined it to court back in June to get a restraining order against Laing, who had allegedly been sexually harassing and threatening the singer since he canceled a date with her nearly a decade ago.

As we reported ... Laing was allegedly drowning him with texts, emails and direct messages since 2011. He also claimed she contacted his family members and his current girlfriend in recent years.

Groban says some of the messages -- as recent as May -- were very sexual and graphic in nature, including one that read ... "I came at approximately 7:09 PM this evening with the thought of your d*** between my t*** and your warmness against my ribcage." That was just the tip of the iceberg.

Scott Peterson's death penalty sentence may have been reversed, but the convicted murderer's family believes he could die in prison soon anyway due to COVID-19 ... and they're pushing for a transfer.

Peterson's attorney, Cliff Gardner, tells TMZ ... Scott's family is majorly concerned for his health following the widespread and deadly coronavirus outbreak at San Quentin State Prison.

Peterson's currently locked up at San Quentin, and in the last month, the prison reportedly saw cases surge with up to two-thirds of the prison getting infected. It currently leads California's prison system in infections and deaths.

With those grim numbers in mind, Gardner says his goal is to place Peterson in the safest possible prison permitted under California law to ensure his safety.

However, according to California prison officials ... there's no plans to move him, and he'll be staying put at San Quentin for now.

As we reported ... the California Supreme Court reversed Peterson's death penalty sentence for murdering his wife and unborn child in 2002 on Christmas Eve. The Court ruled the trial judge in the case made an error in dismissing prospective jurors.

Leonard Cohen's legendary song "Hallelujah" was not approved to be used at the Republican National Convention -- though it was, twice -- and now the late singer-songwriter's team is speaking out ... and threatening legal action.

Reps for both Cohen's estate and the publishing company say they rejected requests by the GOP to play or perform his song at the RNC, but President Trump's party ignored this and did it anyway.

Cohen estate’s lawyer, Michelle L. Rice, says they were surprised and dismayed the song was used at the RNC despite their declination, and described the move as a "brazen attempt to politicize and exploit" one of his most famous songs.

Rice also got a dig in at Trump, adding ... "Had the RNC requested another song, 'You Want it Darker,' for which Leonard won a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have considered approval of that song." She says the estate is now exploring legal options.

Likewise, Cohen's publishing company, Sony/ATV Music, also claims it was contacted about using "Hallelujah" on the eve of the RNC's final night, and said no, but they were ignored.

ICYMI ... a version of "Hallelujah" by Tori Kelly was played during the fireworks following Trump's Thursday night speech, and was then performed live in an operatic rendition by Christopher Macchio.

Remember, it was earlier this month when Neil Young sued the Trump campaign for using his songs "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk" before rallies, after previously warning him not to.

Derek Chauvin -- the ex-Minneapolis cop charged with murdering George Floyd -- deserves an especially harsh sentence because, among other things, he killed Floyd in front of kids ... according to prosecutors.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison just informed the judge in the Floyd murder case he'll be seeking a harsher sentence for Chauvin, for several reasons.

The AG says the alleged murder was especially heinous because there were a number of children around who had to watch a man die.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ellison says Floyd was in a "particularly vulnerable" state because he was handcuffed and chest down on the pavement, repeatedly telling Chauvin and the other officers he could not breathe.

Ellison also claims Chauvin treated Floyd with "particular cruelty," by ignoring Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe and was going to die. Prosecutors also say Chauvin was heartless because he ignored horrified onlookers, and kept his knee pinned on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes, including 4 minutes where Floyd was motionless.

The AG says the knee to the neck inflicted great pain on Floyd and claims Chauvin did not offer Floyd any medical assistance and discouraged others from doing so while witnesses watched him die.