Florida judge gets deal on pot charges
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., May 7 (UPI) -- Florida judge Lawrence Korda, who handled part of the paternity dispute over Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, faces six months of drug testing.
Korda appeared in a Palm Beach County court Monday, charged with a misdemeanor. He apologized to Palm Beach court judge Nelson Bailey on Monday, for smoking pot in a park.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel says police officers alleged the judge was smoking pot in March in a Hollywood park near a group of children.
Korda's attorney says the children were at least 75 feet away. Korda has served as a family court judge for 28 1/2 years.
The paper reported Korda's trial was attended by five parents who claim Korda treated them "poorly" during custody hearings. As the judge left the courthouse, the parents yelled, "You should go to jail."
Korda was sentenced to 25 hours of community service, and if he stays clean for six months, the misdemeanor charge will be dismissed. He is also awaiting a decision by the Judicial Qualifications Commission on sanctions.
Verizon ends relationship with Akon
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., May 7 (UPI) -- Verizon Wireless has fired U.S. rap star Akon who imitated sexual positions with a 15-year-old girl during a performance in Trinidad.
TMZ.com reports a Verizon spokesperson says the company "made a decision this week to end the relationship." The spokesperson's only explanation was that the rapper is being let go for "reasons."
The Trinidad Express says Akon, also known as the "Smack That" rapper, turned, twisted and flipped the teen's body while "mimicking sexual positions." Another performer "sandwiched" the girl with Akon in a manner similar to an incident with Tara Reid during a Sundance Film Festival party.
The girl went onstage in hopes of winning a dance contest offering a trip to Africa as the prize. But when she won, the "trip" was actually the "on-stage encounter" the Express said. The girl's head reportedly hit the floor during the performance.
HBO chairman booked for assault
LAS VEGAS, May 7 (UPI) -- Home Box Office chief Chris Albrecht faces charges he assaulted his girlfriend in Las Vegas.
The HBO network wrapped up the boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather hours before the alleged assault Sunday.
The assault reportedly took place in the parking lot of the MGM Grand Casino where the boxing match was held.
TMZ says Albrecht was charged with suspicion of a misdemeanor battery-domestic assault and was released.
No ruling on lost object in Spector trial
LOS ANGELES, May 7 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Judge Larry Paul Fidler is reserving judgment on an object allegedly removed from Phil Spector's mansion where actress Lana Clarkson died.
Greg Diamond, who went to law school but did not pass the bar exam, alleges he saw someone on Spector's defense team "pick up something off the floor," The Los Angeles Times reports. Diamond once worked as an intern and clerk for Spector's former lawyer, Robert Shapiro.
Stanley White, an investigator for the defense, claimed in 2004 he observed well-known criminalist Henry Lee with what looked like a fingernail. Lee currently is out of the country.
Fidler says he won't make a decision on the allegedly missing evidence until Lee returns. The judge assigned Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola School of Law, to "look into the matter," the Times said.
Actress Lana Clarkson died of a gunshot wound Feb. 3, 2003, in Spector's Alhambra mansion. In 2004, prosecutors alleged the defense team may have removed a piece of Clarkson's fingernail during a sweep of the crime scene the day after the shooting.
