Tom Selleck Water Siphoning Case Settles

July 17th, 2015. By LucyC

When the going gets tough the tough get going—off to the public water fountain, in this case. California resident, Tom Selleck, of previous Magnum PI fame and lately Blue Bloods, decided to tackle the drought conditions in a creative, if not arguably illegal manner and made use of a public water hydrant to irrigate his parched farm in Southern California.

Selleck owns a 60-acre ranch and avocado farm in nearby Hidden Valley. The drought, which has been ongoing for the past four years, is likely decimating his crops.  While there could well be a lot of other people in the same boat, who either didn’t come up with idea or didn’t have the funds or balls to pull it off, Selleck did, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

What exactly did he do? He hired a commercial water tanker to fill up from a public hydrant in Thousand Oaks, CA, at least a dozen times over a two year period. Nice.  All this water poaching began in 2013, apparently. 

It is, or was, a very wild-west kind of move on Selleck’s part. Or maybe it’s just called looking after your own a$$. However you want to call it, officials hit him with a lawsuit accusing him of pilfering water from a public hydrant to irrigate his farm.

According to the civil complaint filed by the Calleguas Municipal Water District in Ventura County Superior Court, the District documented seven separate occasions when a water tanker showed up, filled up and left. The complaint stated that the water was taken to “the Hidden Valley area, where the Selleck property is located,” between Sept. 20, 2013, and Oct. 3, 2013.

The district sent a cease-and-desist letter to Selleck and his wife, Jillie Mack, on Nov. 26, 2013, but all for nought, as the same truck again siphoned water on Dec. 16, 2013, according to the lawsuit. Ok, that takes some cojones. And not in a good way.

According to officials, Selleck’s ranch is located outside the Calleguas district, so he should be using his own groundwater supply. I’m betting he already thought of that.

Weirdly, the lawsuit is not about the money, apparently. The value of the water was next to nothing, that is in the eyes of the district. The actual cash value the district could reportedly sell 325,000 gallons of water for is as low as $1,200, according to Eric Bergh, manager of resources for the Calleguas Municipal district. The district was asking Selleck to pay $21,685.55 for investigators it hired and court costs. So, effectively, he got away with taking the water?

But low and behold—they’ve reached a settlement. I’m guessing it’s got something to do with the publicity—not the kind anyone wants, let alone a 70–year old actor—who plays a good guy on TV.

Interestingly, the local sheriff’s department investigated the claims but couldn’t establish that a crime had taken place, according to Capt. John Reilly. So stealing public property isn’t a crime? According to Bergh, “It’s about equity and fairness and protecting the resources for the people who are paying for it.” Isn’t that why we have laws? Or am I missing something here…

Smartphone Catches Smarta$$ Docs During Colonoscopy

July 1st, 2015. By LucyC

And the doctors thought the patient was a pain in the ass before the colonoscopy? That’s before they got hit with a lawsuit by the patient whose phone recorded some very unsavory (not to mention unprofessional) remarks the doctors made while DB ( the patient/plaintiff) was under sedation. You know, this could be the beginning of something big….I can see the secret listening App now…

Meanwhile, back on the table, the doctors allegedly mocked DB while he was unconscious joking that he has syphilis and talking about firing a gun up his rectum. Oh dear. DB’s smartphone caught the entire conversation and has just paid for itself into the next millennium.

DB sued Safe Sedation LLC and Safe Sedation Management (you gotta love the name)  alleging defamation and infliction of emotional distress. OH yeah baby. According to the court documents:  “On April 18, 2013, during a colonoscopy, plaintiff was verbally brutalized and defamed by the very doctors to whom he entrusted his life while under anesthesia.”

Specifically, DB claims that Drs. Tiffany Ingham and Soloman Shah, who were not named as defendants, mocked him from the second he was actually sedated. DB claims he had inadvertently left his phone in the room, set to record, having neglected to turn it off after recording instructions for post-operative care. (I wonder if there are  lawyers rewriting the law right now to stop this from becoming standard practice—the recording part I mean.)

“The moment that plaintiff became unconscious, Tiffany Ingham, M.D. commented to all of the others in the operating room ‘Oh—Oscar Mike Goss.’ That is a thinly disguised substitute for the expression ‘OMG’, which is an expression of both exasperation and mockery, and is a well-known abbreviation for ‘Oh my God,'” the complaint states. Wait—there’s more—”Tiffany Ingham, M.D. started to mock, and then continued to mock, the amount of medicine required to anesthetize plaintiffs.”

“Referring to plaintiff, Soloman Shah, M.D. commented that a teaching physician known to both him and Tiffany Ingham, M.D. ‘would eat him for lunch.’ Yes, seriously.  “Tiffany Ingham, M.D. agreed that plaintiff would be ‘eaten alive’ and also jokingly discussed a hypothetical of firing a gun up a rectum.”

DB claims his phone caught Ingham talking to him while unconscious, saying, “And really, after five minutes of talking to you in pre-op I wanted to punch you in the face and man you up a little bit.”

And…”A female medical assistant at GMA recalled that plaintiff had earlier warned that he passes out when looking at the placement of an IV, to which Tiffany Ingham, M.D. asked ‘Well, why are you looking then, retard?’ the man claims. “Tiffany Ingham, M.D. also described plaintiff as a ‘big wimp.'” I don’t think that’s a recommended pre-op approach.

Back to the table…apparently, the docs went on to discuss DB’s prescription medication and an irritation on his penis. “A medical assistant at GMA touched plaintiff’s penis during the colonoscopy,” the complaint states. “Although plaintiff’s penis is not involved in a colonoscopy, the medical assistant noted there was not ‘much of a penile rash.’ Tiffany Ingham, M.D. responded, ‘No, you’ll accidentally rub up against it. Some syphilis on your arm or something.’ Solomon Shah, M.D. responded, ‘That would be bad. That would be real bad.'”

Ok—do these people not golf? Isn’t that what physicians are supposed to discuss while at work?

The complaint goes on to claim: “Tiffany Ingham, M.D. then stated to all present in the operating suite that, ‘It’s probably tuberculosis in the penis, so you’ll be all right.'”

DB denies having either of those diseases, which you think a pre-op medical screen would have caught, had one been done… I digress.

This next big is particularly worrying. According to the complaint, the doctors talked about “misleading and avoiding” DB after he woke up.

According to the lawsuit, the doctors continued to discuss how to avoid DB after he woke up, and mocked him for going to Mary Washington College, suggesting that “it was unsurprising that plaintiff attended a college that at one time was a ‘women’s college,’ a ‘girl’s school,’ and wondered if plaintiff was gay.” Ok—really?

The complaint states: “Tiffany Ingham, M.D. stated, ‘Are you implying that he’s gay? Because I know gay men that have more manliness than’ the plaintiff. ‘And I’m sure I know gay men in the military who just haven’t let it be known that they’re gay who are manly.'”

In a final remark caught on tape, Ingham allegedly said she would make a note on the man’s file that he had hemorrhoids even though he didn’t. Oh, I would so be suing….

Poor old DB claims that he and his wife discovered the recorded conversation during their ride home, I sure hope he wasn’t driving at the time…

“Plaintiff has suffered distress, including embarrassment, loss of sleep, and mental anguish, as a direct and proximate result of the conduct of defendant’s agent Tiffany Ingham, M.D.,” according to the complaint. Ya think?

DB was looking for $1 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages for defamation, infliction of emotional distress and illegally disclosing his health records. And he got $500,000 including $200,000 in punitive damages awarded by the jury hearing the case. Ok—where’s that App?

‘Slut’ Actress has Mommy Sue for False Arrest

June 17th, 2015. By LucyC

A 17-year old girl, sorry, actress, who was arrested last August for possession of alcohol by a minor and disorderly conduct, is suing the NYPD for false arrest. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, Winnifred Bonjean-Alpart alleges the evidence was planted. Noteworthy here, is that the charges against her were dropped by Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Ann E. Scherzer.

Winnifred, a “rising star in feminist theater and star of Slut: The Play” (source NYPost), (soon to be Slut: The Movie? – I think that one’s likely been done, but maybe not from the feminist viewpoint) isn’t satisfied with getting off ‘scott free’ as it were (pardon the pun). She and her mother, a lawyer (is that the sound of a penny dropping?) are alleging the NYPD violated Winnifred’s constitutional rights and planted evidence in her purse.

The backstory, Winnifred had a few friends over and they were drinking. Apparently it got loud and a neighbor called the police, as one does. When the police arrived they asked for identification from the party-goers but Winnifred apparently took it upon herself to inform her guests that they didn’t have to comply with that request.

Big surprise, the police responded by arresting Winnifred, claiming they found a fake Maryland’s driver’s licenses in her purse and a couple of empty bottles of booze. She claims the booze and ID were planted because she asserted her First Amendment rights. Um. Possible. But is it probable? Or does it even matter now?

Apparently it does. Winnifred and her mother have filed a civil suit. I guess she really does want her day in court. She and her mother are alleging the police cuffed her too tightly, slammed her against a wall, and put her in a holding cell with men for 18 hours in central booking. Mother and daughter are suing the city for $2 million. Wow—that’s some payday.

Only problem, mummy forgot to get the filing in by the deadline. Jennifer Bonjean, an experienced defense attorney who has apparently won lawsuits against the authorities in the past, missed a 90 day deadline. Seems, in New York, you must file a Notice of Claim with the city within 90 days of the incident. Once the notice is filed, you have one year to actually file the lawsuit. Bonjean missed the 90 day deadline. Now, she must petition the court for permission to proceed with her lawsuit against the city, according to the Post.

So will Winnifred fire her mother—or wait to see if the situation improves? We’ll have to wait and see. One thing’s for sure—the publicity can’t be hurting her. Might even improve ticket sales—or launch a sequel.

Mistress Suing Octogenarian for on-the-Clock Work

June 10th, 2015. By LucyC

Heads up boys…

You’re not the first but you will definitely be the last, according to the wife. What could she be referring to? The latest lawsuit by the latest mistress, who alleges her 88-year old lover was to afraid to leave his wife—therefore—he must be sued. The 67-year old mistress is after Mr. James Greenwald for $2 million, for services rendered during the previous six years they were “together”. You gotta love this stuff–you just can’t make it up.

Mrs. Greenwald reportedly told her husband in some badly failed attempt to seek divorce, that she would rather see him dead than let him go. Well, there you have it.

The mistress, one Theodora Lee Corsell, a retired fundraiser from the Upper East Side in NYC, claims to have been both romantically and professionally involved with Greenwald—who has wandered down this path before, apparently. A previous mistress (not sure which number she would be) tried suing for $3 million—Corsell only wants two—stating that is what her work during those 6 years was worth.

That work involved Corsell handling everything from getting rid of unused New York Giants tickets to promoting Greenwald’s unpublished memoir. (That could be an interesting read). She even helped him make that $3 million threat by the other mistress disappear—a threat that involved outing Greenwald to his wife, according to court papers.

For her part, Mrs. Greenwald is not feeling the love, nor is she in the mood for sharing. “According to Greenwald, [his wife] Marilee told him, ‘I will see them bury you six feet under before I grant you a divorce. I’m the last Mrs. Greenwald,’ ” according to court papers. Yes, well, that narrows your options down a bit. FYI—This Mrs. Greenwald is the second one, so I’m guessing she knows the drill.

Why is Greenwald so popular? $$$$. From the 1970s through to the 1990s, Greenwald headed a national TV and radio sales advertising company, Katz Communications, which was sold for a sizeable chunk of dough—$300 million. You don’t have to be Einstein to figure out the law of attraction here.

That bastion of investigative journalism—The New York Post—reports that according to court documents filed by Corsell, she dug up information on Mrs. Greenwald’s telephone calls and purchases, in an attempt to find some means to leverage a divorce, but came up empty.

Greenwald’s attorney, Steven Mintz, said his client “remains happily married to his wife” and called the suit a “shameless shakedown.” That’s some definition of “happily married.”

According to Corsell’s suit, Greenwald promised Corsell: “I owe you everything and I will compensate you.” Hey—never make a promise you’re not willing to keep…Corsell’s claiming she’s due the money because her “professional services were separate and apart from form the parties’ romantic relationship.”

All I can say is Mr. Greenwald certainly likes to stay busy in retirement. He’s a regular one-man job creation program.

KFC Serves up Chicken Leg Special: Lawsuit

June 5th, 2015. By LucyC

How many legs does your chicken have? According to some folks in China, Chinese KFC operators are using chickens with 6 and 8 legs. It’s all part of some weird social media campaign by competitors, presumably, to manipulate customers feelings about the products they’re buying. So, KFC, which operates some 4,600 restaurants (use the term loosely) in China, has filed a lawsuit, as one does.

Of course, rule number one in telling a tall tale and hoping others will buy it is to come with something, well, believable, right? That’s where these folks made their first mistake. If you’re selling a sh*tload of crunchy fried chicken breasts, wings and legs for a living (i.e., as KFC does), would you want more scrawny legs to be more profitable, or breasts? C’mon, you’d be looking to cash in on some GMO breasts. So that was your first clue re: the bogusness of this one.

Regardless, this KFC lawsuit coincides with a government crackdown to clean up rumors on social media spread by Internet marketers, some of which have reportedly been convicted of attempted manipulation of online sentiment—whatever that means. What it translates to is falsifying posts about competitors and in some cases even deleting critical posts. Who knew?

So it’s one big game of chicken….

KFC posted an announcement on its Chinese website, stating that one of the best-known rumors, specifically that chickens used by the company are genetically modified and have six wings and eight legs, is false. Ya think?

The posts are apparently coming from three accounts on the popular mobile phone app WeChat. KFC is looking for 1.5 million yuan ($242,000) and an apology from each of three companies that operated account. Oh yes, and an immediate stop to their infringements. (But look at all this free publicity it’s generating)

The CEO of KC China, Qu Cuirong, said in a statement that it was hard for companies to protect their brands against rumors because of the difficulties in collecting evidence. “But the stepped-up efforts by the government in recent years to purify the online environment, as well as some judicial interpretations, have offered us confidence and weapons,” she told the Associated Press. But seriously—who would believe a chicken could be modified to have 8 legs? Think it through people.

The case has been accepted by Shanghai Xuhui District People’s Court, according to AP. I would love to see discovery on that one.

FYI—the companies being sued were named as Shanxi Weilukuang Technology Company Ltd., Taiyuan Zero Point Technology Company and Yingchenanzhi Success and Culture Communication Ltd. in Shenzhen city.

Authorities launched a renewed campaign 2 years ago to clean up what they called online rumors, negativity and unruliness. Unruliness? On the Internet? Well good luck with that one boys and girls. An eight legged chicken? It defies imagination…but then we do live in interesting times…