Dog the Bounty Hunter Burglary Was Close to Home ... Beth Told Me!!!

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Dog The Bounty Hunter
STILL LOOKING OUT FOR ME

Dog the Bounty Hunter -- who can spot crime from a mile away -- has a hunch on a very personal offense recently committed against him ... and it's screaming INSIDE JOB.

The fugitive wrangler was talking to paps Friday night outside of BOA Steakhouse in WeHo, where he explained why he feels the burglary that took place at his Colorado store last week was likely undertaken by someone in his inner circle, who knew it inside and out.

You'll recall, crooks broke into Dog's shop last Friday, where they snatched a ton of merchandise, but more importantly ... they made off with a handful of items that belonged to Dog's late wife, Beth Chapman, who died from cancer less than two months ago.

Check out why Dog is certain he's been betrayed -- he believes Beth may have reached out to him from the other side and relayed the news. Kinda sweet, kinda spooky too.

As for whether Dog and his team are going to get involved in tracking the burglars down, he says he's already promised law enforcement he'd stay out of it -- until something specific happens that makes 'em fair game for the pack, that is. At that point, he'll pounce.

Dog also touches on the UAE check scam he nearly got wrapped up in -- which he points out sounded too good to be true (it was). Chalk that one up to street smarts, of which he's got plenty.

Djimon Hounsou Files for Joint Custody Against Kimora Lee ... Allegedly Threatened to Move Child to Africa

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Djimon Hounsou and Kimora Lee Simmons are now locked in a bitter custody fight, and he's made the latest move by asking a judge for joint custody, and her side says he's threatened to move their 10-year-old to Africa.

It's been a bitter fight that has now bubbled over. As we reported, Djimon complained bitterly on Father's Day Kimora wouldn't let him see their 10-year-old son, Kenzo. He strongly insinuated she was regularly keeping the child away from him, but she maintained he was an absent father who rarely wanted to see the boy.

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FATHER'S DAY BLUES

Our Kimora sources claim Djimon has threatened to take Kenzo to Africa and never bring him back. Russell Simmons, who was once married to Kimora and is still close to her, tells TMZ a few days ago he told Djimon he could take the boy for a visit if he would sign a document promising not to take Kenzo to Africa, but Djimon refused to sign.

Kimora got served Friday with Djimon's joint custody petition.

Russell tells TMZ Djimon now is asking not just for joint custody, but child support, yet Russell claims Djimon hasn't paid her support. We don't know, however, if a court ordered him to do so.

We reached out to Djimon's rep. So far, no word back.

In-N-Out Sued Worker Goes Animal-Style Over Uniforms

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In-N-Out burgers might be delicious, but they're burning the hell outta their employees ... according to one worker who's pissed about his uniform -- 'cause he had to pay for it.

Tom Piplack toiled at an In-N-Out branch in Southern California between February 2016 and November 2018, and like all employees at the burger joint ... had to rock the all white pants and black shoes. He's not complaining about the fashion, it's the cost that's got him fired up.

In a lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Piplack says most In-N-Out workers are paid "near minimum wage" and forcing them to buy their uniform "pushes their wages below the legal minimum."

He isn't disclosing how much he paid ... it's more about the principal of the matter for him.

Piplack wants the court to make In-N-Out pay fines for violating Cali labor laws -- and then he wants that money to be distributed to all employees as reimbursement for the uniform expenses.

You could say Piplack is pulling a Robin Hood, but he also wants the burger giant to cover his attorneys fees. Robin Hood didn't have no stinkin' lawyers.

We've reached out to In-N-Out ... no word back yet.

Wayne Newton Sued Thanks to Your Monkey I Had to Get a Shot!!!

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Wayne Newton's monkey ain't your average Curious George ... cause the teenage girl who says the animal bit her says the injury required medical attention.

TMZ's obtained a pic of the injury allegedly caused by Wayne's Capuchin monkey, Boo. The girl's mother is suing Newton claiming Boo bit her daughter's right wrist 2 years ago while visiting Newton's former estate, Casa de Shenandoah ... a tourist attraction and museum in Las Vegas.

Their attorney, Marc Naron of D.R. Patti & Associates, says the bite broke the girl's skin ... causing it to swell -- and she had to go to a hospital where she got a tetanus shot. The pic, btw, was taken the day after the alleged incident.

We're told the alleged victim, who was 15 at the time, underwent follow-up treatments and was left with a gnarly scar that may be permanent. She claims she underwent counseling because of her fear of animals.

In the lawsuit, the family says Boo was not caged nor on a leash when they visited back in October 2017. Wayne and his wife, Kathleen McCrone Newton, tell us they haven't seen the lawsuit. They add ... their company stopped operating Casa de Shenandoah in July 2017, "due to Wayne's almost dying from a spider bite" -- so they have "no idea what happened in October 2017."

Robert Durst Wins Lawsuit Against Wife He Allegedly Murdered

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Robert Durst got away with murder, according to his deceased wife's family, and he just beat them in court.

A judge dismissed the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Kathleen Durst, who disappeared in 1982.

Her body was never found, but a judge subsequently ruled in 2017 her date of death was the same day she disappeared -- January 31, 1982.

Durst was widely suspected of killing her, but he was never charged. He has been charged with the murder of his good friend, Susan Berman, who prosecutors believe knew he murdered Kathleen.

As for the wrongful death lawsuit, a judge just said the family waited too long to file it and the 2-year statute of limitations has long-since run.

There's a twist in all of this ... the lawsuit could be filed -- even long after the statute of limitations had run -- if Durst were in criminal court over Kathleen's murder. Her family argued the criminal case did involve Kathleen's murder, because prosecutors believe Durst killed Susan Berman because she was going to blow the whistle on him over Kathleen's death. They felt that wasn't a direct tie ... or at least not enough to allow a wrongful death suit.

Durst was arrested and charged with Susan Berman's murder after the show "The Jinx" aired on HBO. You hear Durst in the bathroom, thinking his microphone was off, saying, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."

'Bachelorette' Star Tyler Cameron Back to Driving School ... Fallout From Sexy Car Crash!!!

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Tyler Cameron is taking his fine ass back to class ... the 'Bachelorette' finalist has to go to driving school after copping a plea in his car crash case.

Tyler C pled no contest Tuesday to a careless driving charge in Palm Beach County, Florida ... and a judge ordered him to attend 8 hours of driver improvement school.

The crash went down in May, when Tyler rear-ended a 2014 Ford pickup while he was behind the wheel of his 2005 Ford Excurison in Jupiter, FL. Even if you don't remember the crash, we're guessing you recall the SUPER SEXY police body cam footage of Ty on the scene.

The model's top was fully popped after the minor crash ... showing off his toned bod and rock hard abs. No major injuries from the wreck, AND we got the most beautiful body cam footage. Ever. That's whatcha call a win-win.

Tyler C Details Accident
DETAILING THE ACCIDENT

Driving school and paying a small fine is a minor setback for Tyler -- dude's been KILLING the game since the 'Bachelorette' finale aired.

Tyler spent a night with Hannah Brown before this weekend in L.A., and then a couple days later popped up in NYC for a date with supermodel Gigi Hadid!

No word if Tyler will be taught to keep his shirt buttoned while driving. Talk about true crime.

Ron White Like It Or Not ... Marriage is Legit!!!

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No ifs, ands or buts about it ... a judge has ruled Ron White and Margo Rey are officially married.

The ruling came down Tuesday in L.A. Superior Court where a judge sided with Margo and declared the couple was in a common-law marriage under Texas law. The judge just wasn't buying Ron's assertion that the October 2013 wedding in Texas is invalid because Margo refused to sign a prenup.

The judge made it crystal clear ... Ron shelled out $100k for the extravagant wedding, wanted money to be donated to a specific charity in lieu of gifts and the couple was pronounced husband and wife by an officiant under the powers granted to him by the state of Texas.

What's more ... Ron moved forward with the wedding despite Margo never signing the prenup. The judge says it's significant that, despite having 2 separate attorneys, Ron took no steps to halt the 300-person wedding.

In short ... the judge said if it looked like a marriage and acted like a marriage, they're married.

As we reported ... a family friend said Ron professed his love for Margo and referred to Margo as "my wife." Now that this is settled ... the case can move forward. As you might know by now ... she demanded $81k per month in spousal support claiming Ron left her high and dry.

That's still up in the air ... so stay tuned. Oh, and congrats!!! (???)

Nipsey Hussle's Marathon Store Biz Partner Says L.A. City Wants Us Out

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Nipsey Hussle's clothing store in South L.A. has been getting a bad rap in the press at the hands of the L.A. City Attorney's Office ... so claims the late rapper's business partner.

L.A. businessman David Gross -- who's a co-owner of the strip mall in the Crenshaw District, where Nipsey's Marathon Clothing store is located -- is alleging the City Attorney's Office was running a smear campaign against the property in an ongoing, months-long effort to get them the hell out.

Gross says he received the letter in February of this year -- which he claims the City Attorney's staff leaked to the New York Times -- alleging the strip mall is a hot spot for gang activity and crime, and that the city can force him out if he doesn't nip it in the bud.

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Nipsey's biz partner says the City Attorney's Office has wanted Nip and his comrades out of the area since day one -- and has stopped at nothing to accomplish that ... even after the MC's death.

As we reported ... the LAPD and L.A. City Attorney's Office was investigating gang activity in the area around Nipsey's store, which has been a long-standing problem.

In fact, the LAPD was set to meet Hussle a day after he was gunned down, to discuss ways to curb gang violence in his hood.

Gross writes, "The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office was trying to end us. Literally. They wanted to expel The Marathon Store from Slauson Plaza." He adds, "No doubt, if Nipsey was alive they’d still be stalking it, after doggedly pursuing him, his brother, his team and his businesses for damn near a decade. To no avail."

He follows by saying that once the City Attorney's Office realized he was partners with Nipsey and co. ... cops were sicced on him, and the resulting bad press has torpedoed other business deals of his. Gross says another bad article about Marathon Clothing is forthcoming, and he wanted to get ahead of it.

As for what's happening now -- sources connected to Nipsey's camp tell TMZ that city officials have continued to visit the store as recently as 2 weeks ago to resolve this issue -- namely, that the Marathon Store plaza has continued to attract crime and gangs. Gross tells TMZ the City wanted him to post "No Loitering" signs in the strip mall, but he felt that would be a license for cops to harass patrons.

We've reached out to the L.A. City Attorney's Office for comment ... so far, no word back.

Jussie Smollett Even IF I Lied ... City of Chicago's Lawsuit is Bogus!!!

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Jussie Smollett says the City of Chicago is simply trying to exact a pound of flesh from him after his criminal case was dismissed -- a move he calls unprecedented and unfair.

Jussie filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit Chi-Town filed against him to recoup the cost of the investigation into the alleged racist and homophobic attack. In the docs, Jussie says the City has no business suing him because even IF you assume he did lie about the attack -- although he's not admitting that -- there's no way he could have foreseen the enormous amount of money Chicago PD spent on the case.

Jussie also says the city's argument that he's responsible for the investigation costs falls flat because Chicago hasn't shown "a direct link between [Jussie's] statements and the costs the City incurred."

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SOMETHING STINKS

Chicago claims the investigation cost Chicago PD at least $130,000 just in overtime. As we reported, the City also wants Jussie to cover its attorneys fees, and wants punitive damages. In all, it's seeking nearly half a million bucks from Jussie.

The "Empire" star wants the whole suit tossed with prejudice ... meaning it can't be refiled.

Elite Model Management Sued You're Poaching Our Hottest Stars ... Like Behati Prinsloo!!!

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UPDATE

2:26 PM PT -- Women N.Y. Model Management was just granted a temporary restraining order, which puts the brakes on Elite N.Y.'s alleged pursuit of any of their talent -- at least for now.

There's a war brewing in the modeling world -- 2 of the biggest model management companies are going toe-to-toe over some of the hottest women in the world.

A company called Women N.Y. Model Management just filed a lawsuit against famed Elite Model Management in New York, claiming Elite N.Y. has poached its stable of top-notch talent ... including  Adam Levine's supermodel wife, Behati Prinsloo.

According to the docs, Women N.Y. says Elite N.Y. has been engaged in a months-long effort to steal its top model managers and convince them to take their clients over to Elite.

Women N.Y. claims Elite N.Y.'s efforts have netted more than 55 of its clients over the past 4 months -- all of which adds up to more than $22 million in annual bookings.

The most recent example -- according to the suit -- is model Ophelie Guillermand. Women claims it was arranging a booking for her, and got blindsided to learn she had jumped ship to Elite.

Other big names listed in the suit include Alexina Graham, Anna Ewers, Giedre Dukauskaite and Alicia Burke.

According to the suit ... Elite N.Y.'s MO is to put men in charge who have a history of sleazy behavior. For example, Women says in 2005, the head of Elite N.Y. hired John Casablancas ... who it refers to as a notorious figure in the fashion world because a model sued him in 2002 for sexual misconduct when she was 15. Casablancas, who died in 2013, settled that case.

Women N.Y. thinks this is par for the course for Elite N.Y. -- it alleges "some of the older men who currently lead [Elite N.Y.] have engaged in sexual relations with models they represent."

Women N.Y. is suing to block Elite N.Y. from raiding its crop of talent ... and wants damages too.

Originally Published -- 9:07 AM PT

Meek Mill Faces New Judge for '08 Gun Case

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Meek Mill
BACK IN COURT

Meek Mill has to wait a few more weeks to find out if his 2008 gun conviction gets tossed out or if he gets a new trial -- but that's all happening in front of a new judge, which has to be a huge relief for the rapper.

Judge Leon Tucker was presiding Tuesday morning when Meek walked into the Philadelphia courthouse. He's replacing the controversial Judge Genece Brinkley for Meek's potential retrial, which was granted by a panel of judges in Pennsylvania Superior Court in July.

Tuesday's hearing was an extremely brief bail hearing. Meek was released on his own recognizance, and Judge Tucker said both sides will return August 27 for a status hearing. At that point, they'll figure out whether to go to trial or just drop the whole matter.

As we reported ... it's highly unlikely prosecutors will refile the case and retry Meek. His attorney Joe Tacopina tells us, "While we had hoped that this matter would end today, we remain confident that justice will prevail in Meek's case once and for all."

That's because the main witness in the '08 case turned out to be a dirty cop, and a retrial over a decade later would mean the memories of other witnesses would be less reliable as well.

On top of all that, Meek went through hell with Judge Brinkley, who many believe had it out for him ... which is why he ended up back in prison in late 2017 in the first place and harshly sentenced to a 2-4 year sentence.

R. Kelly Charged with Two Sex Crimes ... Allegedly Paid Teen for Sexual Contact in Minnesota

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UPDATE

5:29 PM PT -- R. Kelly's attorney Douglas Anton tells us ... even Minnesota authorities admit there was "no sexual intercourse, or penetration of any kind" between the singer and the alleged victim. 

UPDATE

He adds, "Frankly I don’t understand where the criminal activity exists in this matter. But I believe this highlights what has now become the absurdity of the bulk of the charges against our client."  

UPDATE

2:14 PM PT -- Kelly's accuser claims she met him at a fan meet and greet in a Minneapolis mall, and ended up getting a phone number with the autograph. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, she told police, when she called the number, she was told to go to a hotel suite, and Kelly eventually met her there.

UPDATE

In docs, she says they had small talk and then Kelly gave her $200 to dance ... and then helped her out of her clothing. He also disrobed, according to the accuser ... who says Kelly began masturbating while rubbing her genitals.

UPDATE

She says when the dance was over, Kelly said he'd see her at his concert later that night.

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The accuser says she attended as a guest of Kelly's. She says she wouldn't have been able to get in without the pass because she wasn't 18 yet.

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The woman first reported the alleged incident to cops on Jan. 11, 2019. 

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UPDATE

Interestingly, that is just 3 days after Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx held a news conference urging any potential victims of Kelly to come forward. 

UPDATE

If convicted of the allegations in Hennepin County, Kelly faces up to 5 years in prison and a $10k fine. 

R. Kelly just got hit with more sex crime charges ... this time in Minnesota, where prosecutors say the disgraced singer once paid a teenage girl to have sexual contact with him in his hotel room.

According to prosecutors, the alleged incident went down on July 11, 2001 in Minneapolis ... and they say the alleged victim was between the ages of 16 and 17.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says the alleged victim initially approached Kelly seeking an autograph, and claims Kelly paid her $200 to get naked and engage in sex acts with him.

Prosecutors are charging Kelly with two sex crimes ... engaging in prostitution with someone under 18, and hiring/offering/agreeing to hire someone for sexual contact.

Freeman says there was no sexual intercourse between Kelly and the alleged victim, but he claims there was "dancing and sexual contact." He admitted the case will be difficult to prosecute, given that the evidence is almost 20 years old. Prosecutors say the tip came through a Chicago tip line.

R. Kelly just got hit with more sex crime charges ... this time in Minnesota, where prosecutors say the disgraced singer once paid a teenage girl to have sexual contact with him in his hotel room.
THE NEW CHARGES

The alleged victim is being represented by Gloria Allred.

R. Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, just weighed in on the new charges ... tweeting, "give me a break. This is beyond absurd."

Kelly is currently in custody in New York, where he’s pled not guilty to 5 federal criminal charges including kidnapping and racketeering. The New York case is separate from Kelly’s 13-count indictment in Illinois federal court, which includes charges of child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice. Kelly is also fighting 10 charges of aggravated sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois.

Originally Published -- 12:25 PM PT

Kanye West Dome-Like Structures May Be Torn Down ... Violate Building Code

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Kanye West's plan to build a futuristic, egalitarian community that bridges low, middle and high-income housing has hit a major roadblock ... and it could result in the prototype homes being torn down.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye had 4 dome-like prototype structures built on the 300 acres of land he owns in Calabasas. He hopes to create a whole community of new-age homes -- dome-like structures that break class barriers.

Here's the problem ... we've learned several neighbors have complained to the L.A. County Dept. of Public Works, and after inspectors came out to the property they determined the project violates the building code, and if Ye doesn't get the property permits by Sept. 15, the structures must be torn down.

Here's what we know. On July 18, one of the neighbors contacted the Dept. and said there was construction on the property late at night. An inspector came out and spoke with the site manager, who said the domes were part of a "production" and they were temporary structures. If they're temporary, building permits are not required.

The Dept. got another call from a neighbor a week ago, again complaining of construction noise. The inspector came out again, and saw the domes were sitting atop a concrete foundation. For that and several other reasons, the inspector determined the structures did not appear temporary.  As a result, plans and building permits are required, and Kanye and Co. never applied for them.

So, the Dept. of Public Works is now demanding that Kanye and Co. submit plans and get building permits within 45 days, or else. The "or else" -- tear them down.

A source close to Kanye tells TMZ ... the structures were always intended to be temporary, because they're simply prototypes. The source says they are in touch with the County and intend to comply with the requirements. And, the source adds, the concrete base was necessary to secure the structure for safety and structural reasons but will eventually be removed along with the structures.

Calabasas Construction
CALABASAS CONSTRUCTION

A$AP Rocky Crashes Kanye's Sunday Service ... Chats Up Ex-GF Kendall

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A$AP Rocky is showing his gratitude to one Kanye West for trying to get him out of Swedish custody ... by showing up on a Sunday and partaking in worship.

The just-released rapper was in attendance Sunday for Ye's weekly Sunday Service, where he was wearing a jacket in the hot sun -- but appeared to be in great spirits. He was filmed talking to his old flame, Kendall Jenner, and they seemed pretty chummy.

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Kendall and A$AP have history together, they were dating on and off for a number of years. They haven't been seen in a romantic capacity since early 2017.

A$AP was also photographed chatting up Kanye himself, who was decked out in his usual Sunday Service gear. Some thank-yous were probably exchanged ... and for good reason.

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As we reported ... Kanye was part of the initial push to get A$AP's legal predicament on President Trump's radar, before he was eventually freed last week pending a verdict. We're told Ye's got a direct line to the Oval, and that he suggested Trump talk to the Swedish PM.

A panel of judges decided to release A$AP while a decision is made in his assault case, which wrapped up Thursday after a three-day trial. Rocky touched down in L.A. early Saturday morning, and seemed ecstatic to be finally be home after a month in jail.

A$AP testified that he and his crew were acting in self-defense, and that they tried to defuse the situation with the alleged victim before things got violent.

The Swedish prosecutor recommended a 6-month jail sentence -- a decision is expected to be made on his fate on August 14, when he has to come back to Sweden.

In the meantime, he's getting back to his normal life. Welcome back, A$AP.

A$AP Rocky Returns to U.S. How Ecstatic Am I!?!

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AMERICA!!!

A$AP Rocky was downright gleeful after touching down on U.S. soil Saturday just after midnight ... free for the first time in a month.

A$AP's private jet touched down at LAX after a long flight from Sweden ... this after the judges in his criminal case allowed him to leave the country as they noodled over the verdict.

The rapper was ecstatic ... smiling, taking pics with folks, hugging people. He actually stayed in the private terminal parking lot for around 45 minutes, talking and joking most of the time.

As we reported, all signs point to a not guilty verdict. Prosecutors in the assault case asked the judges to keep Rocky behind bars because he remained a flight risk. The judges had a middle-ground option -- to release him from custody but order that he remain in Sweden, pending the verdict which will be announced on August 14, but instead they let him return to the U.S.

Fact is ... a judge thought he was a flight risk a month ago when he threw Rocky in jail, even before charges were filed, so he'd be at least as much of a flight risk today ... and that's why it seems like it doesn't matter anymore and that he'll be found not guilty.

Our Rocky sources say he's never going back to Sweden, and even though his position has been that race was not a factor, privately everyone in his camp thinks it was, and he probably does as well. It was smart of him not to take a stand on the racial issue, for fear of inflaming the judges.

The key to the case seems to be a green bottle. Prosecutors maintained Rocky hit the alleged victim over the head with it, but not a single witness supported the theory, nor did the video. You do see Rocky holding a bottle, but he says he did it to fend off the guy and put it down on the ground.

Rocky does not have to appear in court for the verdict. It will be a written decision.

WELCOME HOME!!!

Stormy Daniels Columbus Cops Are Getting Their Due ... For Bogus Strip Club Bust

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Stormy Daniels
THEY STOLE MY EARRINGS

Stormy Daniels is getting a taste of justice after the Ohio cops who busted her at a strip club last year are now facing some consequences ... but she ain't done with them yet.

The ex-adult film star was beaming Friday night as she strolled through LAX -- without any makeup at that -- as she reacted to the news that five of the officers who went undercover and arrested her at a strip joint in Columbus will be reprimanded by their department.

When a pap asks how she feels about the update a year later -- she actually corrects him with a more precise time frame (387 days, to be exact) ... so yeah, she's definitely been keeping tabs on the case.

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AT THE JAIL

She also doubles down on what's come to light about the arrest since it went down -- that it never should've happened, and it was completely bogus. Stormy was a guest at the venue she was performing at -- she was just booked for a special appearance -- and the no touching law the Columbus cops tried nabbing her on only applies to regular employees.

The charges were dropped, and since then ... Stormy also sued some of those officers, and she tells the photog here that the lawsuit's still on. In the filing, she claimed the cops targeted her for speaking out against Trump ... alleging the arrest was purely political.

She obviously wants damages, but funny enough ... there's one other thing they could give her that might smooth things over.

As for DT, her former attorney Michael Avenatti and the upcoming presidential election -- well, she's got some thoughts on all of the above. Check it out ... classic Stormy.