Crime and Justice
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Kid Cudi was the victim of a home burglary that went on a little longer than it should have after the perpetrator was caught making himself a bit too comfortable and was eventually caught. The man was seen on Kid Cudi’s security system having a meal, a shower, and even using the bathroom before authorities nabbed him.
TMZ reports that the Los Angeles home of Kid Cudi, real name Scott Mescudi, was burglarized this week, with footage from Wednesday (Jan. 15) showing the shirtless man using the shower, having a meal, relieving himself, and generally enjoying the fruits of Cudi’s labor tax-free. Police arrived at the home around 5 PM local time and took the unidentified suspect into custody without incident.
Cudder wasn’t home when the crime took place so thankfully he was unharmed. It wasn’t listed in the report if any items from the home were stolen or if the man was just making a much-needed pit stop being going about his day. As the outlet notes, the breaking and entering came with a high ticket of. felony burglary and theft of utilities along with being held behind bars on $150,000 bail.
Cudi has been busy on both the acting and music front with his role in the Knuckles series starring Idris Elba, along with a role in M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap film. Cudi also released his two studio albums, Isano and Insano (Nitro Mega).
So far, Kid Cudi hasn’t made a public statement about the crime or the arrest.
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Source: JD Barnes / for Cassius
Method Man, born Clifford Smith, 53, is being accused of assaulting a man at a Crunch Fitness gymnasium in Staten Island. The kicker is that the alleged receiver of the Wu-Tang Clan rapper and actor’s flying fists of Shaolin was his daughter’s ex-boyfriend.
Details are still scant, but the New York Post first reported about an assault on what the rag described as a “family friend” that occurred on Thursday, January 16. Reportedly, Method Man, allegedly struck Patrick Sokoya, 28, seven times in the face “with a closed fist” according to the cops.
Reportedly, the fisticuffs stemmed from a past relationship Sokoya had with the Iron Lung’s daughter (who is a rapper herself), which was over 10 years ago. Sokoya told the police that he felt dizzy but he passed on medical attention. Although a complaint was filed with NYPD, Method Man was not arrested.
We’re thinking there is a lot more to this story—but don’t expect Meth to give up the goods and you can bet this will be quietly settled, out of court. A rep for Method Man did tell the Post, “Mr. Smith categorically denies the allegations as reported and has not been the subject of an arrest by any law enforcement agency.”
Method Man being at a Crunch gym shouldn’t be a surprise since over the past years he has taken his health seriously and has spoken about heading to the gym early to get his workouts in to various outlets, including CassiusLife.com.
Considering what details we do have, we hope Method Man’s hand is okay. Respectfully.
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Newly released bodycam footage shows a pretty tense run-in between rapper/actor Ice-T and a cop during a traffic stop in Hudson County, New Jersey, last May.
Ice-T, known for his iconic role as NYPD detective “Odafin ‘Fin’ Tutuola” on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, was pulled over near a DMV office while driving his Porsche. The incident unfolded as Ice-T attempted to address registration issues with the vehicle.
According to the footage, the 66-year-old entertainer explained he was headed to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) following a system outage that occurred when he’d tried to update his paperwork before. Despite the minor traffic offense, things escalated quickly, with both sides becoming frustrated. At one point, Ice-T asked if he was being arrested before questioning the officer’s right to tow the car. Things became so intense they called for a supervisor, who helped calm things down.
Ultimately, Ice-T got four tickets for expired tags, no inspection, and other paperwork problems. But his car wasn’t towed, and he was allowed to finish with the paperwork at the DMV to bring the vehicle registration current.
The footage has caused some online debate, with many wondering how the stop was handled and others pointing out how hard it is to stay calm in stressful situations.
This incident adds to the ongoing conversation about law enforcement and how public figures are treated. Even though things got tense, it didn’t escalate further, making people think about the balance between authority and respect in these situations.
Law & Order Star Ice-T Goes Off on Cop During Traffic Stop pic.twitter.com/N8Xp1x0WVC
— Bodycam Videos 🚔📹 (@BodycamVideos_) January 3, 2025
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Lil Durk is currently behind bars awaiting trial for his role in a murder-for-hire plot that targeted Quando Rondo but instead left the rapper’s cousin shot and killed in 2022. In new court documents that were recently filed, Lil Durk’s trial has been postponed until October of this year as officials will comb through 230 gigabytes of digital evidence.
As shared by independent legal reporter Meghann Cuniff, Lil Durk was slated to go on trial next week as seen in the filing made on Dec. 31 to the United States District Court, Central District of California. Cuniff combed through the filing and discovered that Durk’s new trial date will be Oct. 14 as the state continues to examine its haul of evidence as prosecutors continue to build out their case.
Cuniff shared that Durk’s co-defendant Asa “Boogie” Houston is opposing the trial postponement while another co-defendant Deandre “DeDe” Wilson appears to be seeking a plea deal after requesting a pre-plea sentence report.
The discovery portion of the matter focuses on “approximately 230 GB of digital evidence such as audio/video recordings and surveillance footage, and approximately 20,000 pages of reports concerning murder and other violent acts, photographs, witness statements, and medical documents.”
It is expected that Lil Durk will remain behind bars until the trial after being denied bond due to a potential flight risk. The Chicago star was arrested while en route to a Florida airport that was reportedly heading to Europe before he was cornered and arrested.
Meghann Cuniff’s thread from X regarding the matter can be viewed below.
Rapper Lil Durk is looking at a new trial date of October 14 in his murder-for-hire case in Los Angeles, according to a stipulation today from federal prosecutors and the defense. pic.twitter.com/XtMjADEOPd
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 31, 2024
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Robert Brooks, an inmate at a central New York state correctional facility, died after he was savagely beaten by officers while restrained and the entire incident was seen by the wider public via bodycam video footage. As a result, the FBI and other agencies are investigating the death of Robert Brooks as the family seeks answers and justice.
According to several reports, including local outlet Utica Observer-Dispatch, Robert Brooks, 43, has been jailed since 2017 and serving a 12-year sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility for stabbing a woman multiple times and took a plea deal to have a second-degree murder charge dropped.
As the Observer-Dispatch adds, the release of the bodycam footage by the New York State Attorney General’s Office showed Brooks being cooperative with the correctional officers and was cuffed as the officers used brutal force. From what we did watch, the officers used their hands and feet to administer heavy blows to Brooks, who never once appeared to resist. Brooks would later succumb to his injuries at a Utica hospital on Dec. 10. Admittedly, we could not finish the video but the footage can be viewed by following this link. We do urge caution before opening.
New York Attorney General Letitia James held a virtual press conference on Friday, Dec. 27 regarding the Brooks matter and offered a statement.
“Mr. Brooks had been incarcerated at Mohawk Correctional Facility and was transferred to Marcy on Dec. 9. During the incident, he was handcuffed with his hands behind his back,” James said. “I don’t take the release of these videos lightly. But as attorney general, I release these videos because I have a responsibility and duty to the Brooks family and their loved ones and all New Yorkers with transparency and accountability.”
CNN added in its reporting that several elected officials and organizations spoke out after witnessing the footage, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the ACLU. The organization says that they have monitored reports from the Marcy Correctional Facility of inmate mistreatment by officers.
As the matter of Robert Brooks continues to develop, we will take note of all happenings and share them with the readership.
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Jay-Z was named in a civil lawsuit brought against Sean “Diddy” Combs and was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl while attending a music industry afterparty back in 2000. Jay-Z has since filed to have the lawsuit case dismissed, citing that the attorney representing Jane Doe in the matter is attempting a financial shakedown and is asking that the identity of Doe be revealed.
In a new report from Page Six, Jay-Z, 55, has filed documents in court that took aim at Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee and levies a claim of his own that the lawsuit was an attempt to force the rapper and entrepreneur to pay a large sum of cash to make it all go away.
“That campaign was cynical and calculated to force payment of an exorbitant sum of money—Defendant would have to pay X millions of dollars irrespective of the truth, or else,” a portion of the doc said, which was obtained by the outlet.
“When Defendant refused to pay and instead took measures to establish his innocence, this unnamed Plaintiff and her self-promoting counsel (whose name has been splashed across headlines and press conferences under auspices of representing her) went to extraordinary lengths to shut down fair defense,” the doc continues.
“These claims are not about justice for victims. Nor are they about giving victims of sexual violence a voice. Instead, they are merely the next chapter in Attorney [Tony] Buzbee’s sprawling extortion saga—a saga whose aim is base and measured in dollars,” the doc also adds.
Jay-Z’s side wants the judge in the matter to reveal the name of Jane Doe to the public, stating that the accuser’s legal team has not provided sufficient evidence to justify the anonymity.
Buzbee, Doe’s attorney, gave a statement to Page Six regarding the matter.
“Sending a basic litigation demand letter and then filing a lawsuit isn’t extortion or blackmail. That’s the legal practice.
Buzbee added that his side “won’t get bogged down in a silly sideshow that tries to make the lawyers the focus of what are very serious allegations brought by a courageous woman.”
In the court of public opinion, reactions to the lawsuit claims have grown legs, with some already announcing Jay-Z is guilty as charged before the matter has been heard. Others, such as 50 Cent, have taken to social media to take shots. Others are saying that as more details emerge, the truth will be revealed in an attempt to show grace.
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Conor McGregor, a professional combat sports fighter and entrepreneur, has faced several legal issues throughout his career, and the latest matter has a new development. The Irish MMA star was ordered to pay a woman $250,000 in a civil suit after she accused Conor McGregor of sexually assaulting her.
As reported by The Guardian, Conor McGregor, 36, was in Ireland’s high court last Friday (November 22) to hear the judgment regarding the civil rape and sexual assault case. Nikita Hand, the woman accusing McGregor, said that the former UFC champion raped her in a hotel in Dublin in December 2018.
Hand said she came across McGregor and invited him to a Christmas party at her place of work to join her and a friend. Hand also said that James Lawrence was also an attendee of the party and sexually assaulted her as well although the jury found no evidence backing the claim. Hand spoke to a throng of reporters outside the courthouse after the verdict was read and thanked her supporters and loved ones.
In a series of now-deleted replies on the X platform, McGregor lashed out at Hand, calling her a “vicious liar” and springboarded upon Lawrence being cleared of charges as an attempt to exonerate himself.
“Two men falsely accused One vindicated, the other soon to be,” McGregor wrote last Saturday. “Congrats James Lawrence on absolute exoneration! Twice this heinous accusation was put to you and twice it was shown as FALSE!”
Conor McGregor has vowed to seek an appeal and have the case overturned.
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Jonathan Majors earned a bittersweet legal victory after a conviction in 2023 upended the once-popular actor’s momentum and cost him the role of a lifetime. Grace Jabbari, the ex-girlfriend of Jonathan Majors, has now dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against him which has fans on X wondering if Kang will make a comeback in the MCU.
Jonathan Majors, 35, was found guilty of one count of reckless assault in the 3rd degree and one charge of harassment as a violation. Majors was acquitted of a charge of assault and another charge of aggravated harassment. Grace Jabbari, 31, accused Majors of physical assault and abuse after an incident in March of 2023 found the former couple at odds. Several accounts of the allegedly violent exchange were revealed before Majors’ conviction with the courts eventually siding with Jabbari although some charges did not stick.
Now with Jabbari dropping the assault and defamation lawsuit, observers are wondering if the larger public owes Majors an apology and if the role of Kang The Conqueror within the Marvel Cinematic Universe should still be his. It should be noted that Majors’ conviction from the incident still stands and Jabbari has not publicly claimed that the acts connected to the case didn’t happen.
Majors is already signed up for new films, with a role in the upcoming thriller Merciless from director Martin Villeneuve. Majors will also appear in the 2025 film, Magazine Dreams.
Jonathan Majors has maintained his innocence regarding the assault allegations and says he wants to continue his work as an actor.
[h/t Deadline]
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Jussie Smollett‘s holiday season is off to a fine start. The former Empire star’s conviction for attacking himself back in 2019 has been overturned.
The Illinois State Supreme Court has overturned Jussie Smollett’s conviction for lying about a hate crime.
His case will be dismissed.
“We hold that a second prosecution under these circumstances is a due process violation, and we therefore reverse defendant’s conviction.” pic.twitter.com/Z6RohP8KJK
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) November 21, 2024
On Thursday (Nov. 21), the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Smollett should never have been prosecuted for a second time. The initial charges against him had been dropped after a sort of plea deal with the DA.
Smollett was charged with filing a false police report after he had claimed that he was the victim of a homophobic and racist attack. Soon after the story made headlines, his alleged tale started falling apart with the attackers (two brothers) coming forward to say that they had actually been hired by the actor to perform the hoax for a smooth $3,500. Nevertheless, a dismissal was negotiated with the Cook County state’s attorney.
However, a special prosecutor revived the case, and a grand jury restored charges that included disorderly conduct and lying to the police. Smollett continued to insist that he was innocent throughout the trial but he was eventually convicted on five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021.
Although Smollett was sentenced to about five months in jail, he only served six days and was released pending appeal. Now, he’s in the clear.
While Smollett entered a rehab facility in late 2023, most recently he wrote and produced a new film called The Lost Holliday which he also starred in. Peep social media reactions, MAGA is big mad, again, to Smollett’s latest news in the gallery.
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Malcolm X, the civil rights leader who later transformed into a global activist, was assassinated in 1965 just as his messages for human rights began to resonate with the wider public. The family of Malcolm X has filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit against the United States government, alleging its involvement in his passing.
As reported late last week by ABC News, civil rights attorney Ben Crump was flanked by members of Malcolm X’s family and announced the $100 million lawsuit while addressing a media gathering in New York where the leader was gunned down.
According to Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X), said that the family and their legal team have uncovered damning evidence that connects the NYPD and FBI worked in concert to kill her father.
“We fought primarily for our mother, who was here,” Ms. Shabazz said referencing the late Betty Shabazz while speaking at the site of the former Audubon Ballroom. “My mother was pregnant when she came here to see her husband speak, someone who she just admired totally and to witness this horrific assassination of her husband.”
Crump added in his statements to the press that the lawsuit targets an alleged scheme from the authorities to keep the truth of X’s death under wraps. In the lawsuit, a witness by the name of Mustafa Hassan claims that when he and others tried to stop the individuals who carried out the assassination, NYPD officers intervened to allegedly help the suspects escape. Hassan was reportedly never questioned by investigators on the scene despite him giving an account of the incident.
Further, the family’s legal team says it has two affidavits from a pair of X’s bodyguards who claim they were jailed by an undercover NYPD officer one week before the slaying was carried out and were kept from X’s side to guarantee the job would be done.
The FBI and NYPD have declined to comment on the lawsuit according to the outlet.
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