By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Roger Clemens put his right hand on the lectern, leaned down toward the microphone and made what might be the most important pitch of his life: "Not guilty, your honor."

Those words, uttered Monday in a strong, confident voice by the seven-time Cy Young Award winner sporting a black blazer and blond highlights in his hair, marked the official beginning of a court case that could taint baseball even further and land the "Rocket" in jail.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton presided over an arraignment hearing that lasted less than 14 minutes in the ceremonial courtroom at the federal courthouse, across the street from the Capitol.

Walton set April 5 as the start of jury selection — the Monday of the first full week of the 2011 baseball season, and also around the time a case involving Barry Bonds, the all-time home run king, could be wrapping up in San Francisco.

Pete Rose, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and Denny McLain are among former baseball stars to have spent time in jail. Clemens and Bonds, who chased history on the field throughout their careers, now could be chasing history off it.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Chris Simms needs to add a new date to his 2010 season: an October trial in his New York City drugged-driving case.

Simms didn't make it Monday to a Manhattan court date in the case, which stems from a July 1 arrest. Police say he admitted smoking marijuana in his car; he says they misquoted him.

Lawyer Kim Richman declined to explain why Simms wasn't there, but the Titans are in the midst of training in Nashville and were set to play a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Michael J. Yavinsky agreed to excuse Simms' absence, rebuffing prosecutors' request for a warrant authorizing police to arrest the gridiron scion and bring him to court. But the judge said Simms, a son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, needs to be there Oct. 7 for a hearing and trial — football obligations notwithstanding.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

"Jersey Shore" cast member Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi's lawyer is expected in court on her behalf.

Attorney Raymond Raya's office says that he'll attend an initial court appearance Wednesday and that Polizzi is not expected in court.

She was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct last month in the New Jersey town where the MTV reality show is based. She was released on a summons.

Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd said other beachgoers reported Polizzi was bothering them. The arrest came one day after the premiere of the show's second season, which features the cast in Miami.

Taping for the third season is under way in Seaside.

"Jersey Shore" focuses on the escapades of a group of hard-partying, 20-something Italian-Americans at a shore house.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Still behind bars as she's six days into her term for probation violation, Lindsay Lohan received the second visit of the weekend from lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley on Sunday.

Having already used up her two allotted personal visits, the "Machete" actress' attorney turned up at the Century Regional Detention Facility to keep her high profile client up-to-date while also checking in on her well-being.

Commenting on Lindsay's state of mind, Chapman Holley told Us magazine, “She is doing fine. She has made some friends.”

And while recent reports alleged that LiLo would be released by weekend's end, insiders now tell that they believe she'll be freed before the upcoming weekend.

As for claims that Miss Lohan is getting special treatment from jail workers, Chapman Holley said, "We are not asking for special treatment from the court or the sheriff, nor is she receiving special treatment."

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Lindsay Lohan is set to begin serving a 90-day jail sentence on Tuesday and the troubled young actress will follow through, her new lawyer pledged on the weekend.

Noted attorney Robert Shapiro, best known as a member of the so-called legal "dream team" that represented O.J. Simpson, signed on late last week to represent Lohan.

The actress received the 90-day sentence on July 20 for violating the terms of her probation for drunk driving charges dating from 2007.

"I have agreed to represent Ms. Lohan on the condition she comply with the terms of probation, including a requirement of jail imposed by Judge Marsha Revel," Shapiro said in a statement issued Friday.

"Ms. Lohan is suffering from a disease that I am all too familiar with. Hopefully, I can be of assistance to Ms. Lohan and Judge Revel in implementing a treatment approach recommended by medical professionals for Ms. Lohan's long-term recovery and sobriety," the statement said.

Shapiro's son, Brent, died in 2005 after battling drug and alcohol addiction. After his son's death, the lawyer started a foundation to support those in need of addiction treatment and opened an in-patient, sober living facility called Pickford Lofts.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor is getting his chance to respond to charges that he had sex with a 16-year-old girl.

The former NFL star smiled as he arrived at a Rockland County courthouse on Tuesday for arraignment on charges that include third-degree rape. He's also charged with patronizing a prostitute and endangering a child.

When someone in the media throng asked if he was guilty, Taylor responded, "Grow up."

Taylor allegedly paid the girl $300 for their May 6 encounter in a hotel room in suburban Montebello.

Defense attorney Arthur Aidala has denied that the 51-year-old Taylor had sex with the girl.

Court papers in a federal case against the girl's alleged pimp say Taylor admitted to sex acts with the girl but was told she was 19.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Prosecutors want Campbell to say whether Taylor gave her a rough, or uncut, diamond as a gift during a celebrity-packed 1997 reception in South Africa hosted by then-President Nelson Mandela. They contend her testimony will support their contention that Taylor lied when he testified that he never possessed rough diamonds. Prosecutors assert that Taylor dealt in so-called blood diamonds - meaning those mined in a war zone, where the proceeds are used to finance an insurgency. The Special Court for Sierra Leone issued the order forcing Campbell to testify after she avoided prosecutors for a year, and made it known she had no wish to be part of the case.

She was ordered to appear in court in The Hague on July 29 at 9 am "or to show good cause why you cannot comply with this subpoena". Refusal could lead to prosecution for contempt, which carries a maximum 7-year prison sentence and a fine of 2 million Sierra Leone leones, or about $510, according to the subpoena released by the court. The appearance of Campbell, as well as of actress Mia Farrow and the model's former agent Carole White, who do not appear to have resisted testifying, will add a touch of glitz to a case already seen as a landmark, the first time a former African head of state has been put on trial by an international court.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Mel Gibson’s lawyer slammed Oksana Grigorieva’s claims that she had been treated cruelly by Mel and that he hadn’t been paying child support.  His lawyer actually termed her claims as “sensational allegations” because they were meant to simply tarnish his name in the media.

Right now, the ex-couple is battling over visitation rights.  Oksana received a restraining order last week causing Gibson’s lawyers to ask for a modification so the star can visit his daughter and spend time with her.

Kolodny, Gibson’s lawyer, told TMZ, “Oksana’s deceitful conduct in trying to terminate Mel’s access to his daughter continues.”

Last week, Oksana filed a restraining order against Gibson, and began spreading the rumor that he was not paying any child support.  The actor already has a tarnished image in the media due to past mistakes he made such as the anti-Semitic remarks.  It will be interesting to see how this whole debacle resolves between this Hollywood couple.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Actor Charlie Sheen has a new court date over domestic violence allegations involving his wife, as settlement talks continue.

Sheen has pleaded not guilty to menacing, criminal mischief and assault charges stemming from an argument with his wife, Brooke Mueller Sheen, on Christmas Day at an Aspen home where they were on vacation.

A hearing is scheduled June 18, but The Aspen Times reports that the court this week set another hearing for June 7.

Sheen's attorney Richard Cummins told the newspaper the hearing was set "in contemplation of a final disposition being made that's acceptable to the district attorney's office."

Aspen prosecutor Arnold Mordkin declined to comment on settlement discussions.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Tiger Woods' legal team evidently accused the London based law firm representing Elin Nordegren in the couple's divorce case of leaking information to the press.

TMZ has obtained an email dated April 19, 2010 from Walter H. White Jr. to his staff that warns:

"Recently we have been accused by the other side of leaking information to the press. While we do not believe that anyone in the firm has been responsible for the leaks, we are aware that this is the second time that we have been so accused ... "

Elin's sister, Josefin, works for White's law firm, which Elin engaged about a month and a half after Tiger's Thanksgiving night car crash.

When contacted by TMZ, White refused to confirm or deny that he reps Elin.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.