TMZ.com

4:05 PM PT -- Paul's attorney Bobby Samini is doubling down on his client's comments ... telling TMZ the charges against him are totally false.

Samini says, "Mr. Rodriguez was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over by the Burbank Police Department last night. He fully cooperated with law enforcement at all times. Law enforcement asserted that the driver of the vehicle was in possession of a controlled substance. Mr. Rodriguez did not have any controlled substance in his possession, nor was he under the influence of any controlled substance.

"Mr. Rodriguez’s arrest and treatment constituted a violation of his civil rights. We look forward to establishing Mr. Rodriguez’s innocence in a court of law."

Paul Rodriguez was recently arrested for alleged possession of narcotics in Burbank ... but the comedian tells TMZ the drugs weren't his -- and he's leveling some serious allegations against police.

We broke the story that Paul was arrested Friday when the car he was in was pulled over for a traffic violation, at which time cops allegedly found narcotics. Paul was arrested for misdemeanor possession.

But the comedian tells TMZ that not only were the drugs not his ... he feels one of the officers overstepped during the arrest -- and it may have been racially motivated.

From what he says ... the car was Paul's, but he was asleep in the passenger seat when it was pulled over -- which is when the "Caucasian" officer allegedly slapped Paul to wake him up ... 'cause he was on a "power trip."

Legendary comedian Paul Rodriguez had a bad night Friday -- and we're not talking about one the stage, but, rather, he got arrested by the police!

Here's what happened ... Paul was driving in a vehicle in Burbank, California, when a cop pulled him over for a traffic violation, according to law enforcement sources.

We don't know what the violation was, but that's beside the point ... because our sources say that when the officer searched Paul's car, and allegedly found some type of narcotics inside.

We're told Paul was promptly arrested and taken to the clink for misdemeanor possession of narcotics, although he's expected to be released from jail soon.

The Diddy trial could begin and end with jury deliberation, because the composition of the jury could determine whether Diddy spends the rest of his life in prison or goes free.

TMZ breaks down the factors in selecting a jury of Diddy's peers in our new documentary, "The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," available now on Tubi.

Dr. Phil, a former jury consultant who masterminded Oprah's big win in the Texas beef trial, says it's critical to find open-minded jurors, and it's not as simple as asking if they're open-minded. One way to root that out ... asking prospective jurors if they've ever held a strong position and then changed their minds.

Sean Kingston and his mother have been convicted in their federal wire fraud case.

The "Beautiful Girls" singer and his mom, Janice Turner, were found guilty Friday on all five charges they were facing.

Sean reportedly cried as the jury returned the guilty verdict ... and he told U.S. Marshalls to "protect my mother" as they remanded her into custody and took her away from the courtroom.

A New Jersey mayor was arrested for drunk driving earlier this month, allegedly driving around with her toddler in the car ... and, the police body cam footage shows what happened after she pulled into her driveway.

Gina LaPlaca -- the mayor of Lumberton Township -- was pulled over on St. Patrick's Day ... and, when she gets out of the car, she takes her son out of the car while officers pepper her with questions. She tells police she just came from picking her son up from school.

Check out the clip ... they ask about her front passenger-side-view mirror -- which has been basically smashed to bits -- and, they tell her they got lots of calls about her driving erratically. WPVI-TV was first to report the story and air the video.

Kim Kardashian could be one step closer to becoming an attorney ... after taking a pivotal test that's required to practice law.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... on Wednesday, Kim took the MPRE -- Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination -- a key test on legal ethics and professional conduct.

While the MPRE is technically not part of the bar exam, it's a mandatory step toward bar admission.

Race will almost inevitably play a part in the prosecution of Diddy, and his defense team is banking on jurors focusing on why prosecutors have invested so much in, as Diddy's lawyers put it, "taking down a successful Black man."

We get into it in the new documentary, "TMZ Presents The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," available free on Tubi.

Criminal defense lawyers who have won some of the most high-profile celebrity criminal cases weigh in on how race will become an issue in Diddy's trial, set for May.

The Indiana former teacher who allegedly participated in a gangbang with several underage kids wearing "Scream" masks is facing a smorgasbord of new charges that could land her in prison for many decades if she's convicted.

In court documents, Morgan County prosecutors say they've added charges related to five more alleged victims ... bringing the total number to six who have accused Brittany Fortinberry of a slew of sex crimes.

Prosecutors tell us they're planning to hit Fortinberry with 24 additional felonies, putting the grand total at 29, including five Level 1 child molestation counts. On Thursday, the county prosecutor, Steven P. Sonnega, told TMZ ... Fortinberry will be advised of the new charges and potential penalties at a court hearing on April 3.

Adam22 says he was NOT picked up by the feds, contrary to reports, but he tells us Uncle Sam paid him a visit regarding the Big U case and Nipsey Hussle's murder.

We got the "No Jumper" podcast host at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and we asked him about Wack 100 claiming he was arrested by federal agents.

Adam22 says the feds talked to him about the Big U case and they wanted to get their hands on a cease-and-desist letter Big U sent Adam's podcast regarding an episode where Luce Cannon claimed Big U had prior knowledge of Nipsey's death before the fatal March 2019 shooting.

2:38 PM PT -- Bri Stern has just shared her full statement on Instagram ... laying it all out there and saying in part, "Those facts speak for themselves."

Andrew Tate choked his girlfriend Bri Stern with one hand and used his other mitt to beat the crap out of her face ... according to a new lawsuit.

Bri is suing Andrew for sexual assault and battery and gender violence ... and in her lawsuit, she goes into more detail on the alleged choking incident she filed a police report over.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Bri says they were having consensual sex in his room at the Beverly Hills Hotel when things suddenly changed and he started being verbally degrading and violent.

Don't spit on "Hawk Tuah" girl's name in the crypto world, because she says the SEC's thorough investigation into her controversial meme coin is over, and she's walking away clean ... TMZ has learned.

Haliey Welch tells us, "For the past few months, I've been cooperating with all the authorities and attorneys, and finally, that work is complete."

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation after Haliey's meme coin, "$HAWK token," crashed in value after a rapid rise ... and left lots of investors -- many of them first-timers -- holding the bag.

Andrew Tate is strongly denying allegations from a woman who claims he violently choked her during a sexual encounter 2 weeks ago ... leading to her filing a police report.

Tate's legal team tells TMZ ... "Andrew Tate vehemently rejects this outrageous allegation and will relentlessly pursue legal action against anyone involved in spreading this blatant falsehood."

As we reported ... Bri Stern filed a sexual assault report with police, claiming Andrew attacked her on March 11 while they were staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Photos obtained by TMZ show bruising on Bri's face, which she claims is a direct result of Tate's violent behavior during sex.

A mock jury of 12 people heard evidence for and against Diddy and voted his fate ... and the results may surprise you.

The jury is part of a new documentary -- "TMZ Presents The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense" -- available for free on Tubi.

Jurors heard the case the prosecution will present and the defense Diddy's lawyers will mount, and then they retreated to a conference table where they argued the facts.

One of Andrew Tate's girlfriends says he nearly choked her unconscious during a violent sexual encounter 2 weeks ago, prompting her to report the alleged incident to police ... TMZ has learned.

Bri Stern filed a sexual assault report and she claims Andrew attacked her on March 11 while they were staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel … according to sources with direct knowledge.

She's told police Tate began choking her while they were having sex, but it got too rough, and although she begged him to stop, he kept going. Bri says the more she struggled, the more violent he got … and she felt everything getting fuzzy, like she was fading into unconsciousness.

6:55 PM PT -- Diddy's legal team tells TMZ ... "No matter how many lawsuits are filed—especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims—it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor."

They add ... "We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court."

Diddy took a photographer into a trailer on the set of a commercial and essentially forced him to perform oral sex by putting the guy's career in the balance ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The Bad Boy Records founder is being sued by a Hollywood photog who claims Diddy sexually assaulted him while he was working on a high-profile commercial.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the photog claims Diddy invited him to join him in a trailer and framed the meeting as an opportunity for career advancement.

Brittany Fortinberry -- the Indiana teacher charged with sexually abusing children by allegedly asking them to gangbang her while wearing "Scream" masks -- has been ordered to stay the hell away from the alleged victims in her case.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Fortinberry's prohibited from having direct or indirect contact with one of the underage boys involved in the case and she can't go to his house, school or work. If she sees him in public, she has been ordered to stay at least 1,000 feet away.

Prosecutors say the court also issued an order prohibiting Brittany "from having any direct, or indirect, contact with our victims."