Source: Crimeblog.dallasnews.co m

Juanita Bynum better start calling on the Lord harder than she ever has before because the televangelist preacher could sure use him on her main line right now. According to a Dallas Crime Blog, she spent the night in the Lew Sterrett Justice Center Thursday night after police arrested her on a warrant for failure to appear in a Dallas civil proceeding against her.

According to the site, Juanita, who resides in Georgia, was booked in at the jail about 10:30 p.m. Thursday and was released Friday after she appeared in a Dallas courtroom to answer questions in the case, which relates to a 2007 judgment ordering her to pay $140,000 to ALW Entertainment. Obnoxious TV reports that promoter Al Wash of ALW Entertainment paid Juanita a $100,000 advance to star in a stage play that she never did. He sued her and won and Juanita was allegedly ordered to make payments to him, which she has not done. That, on top of missing her court appearance to explain why she hasn’t been paying, is what caused a warrant to be issued, and her subsequent arrest.

Wash’s attorney, David Small seems to be confident the case will be resolved soon, telling the crime blog:

“[Juanita] has disclosed the whereabouts of her assets and her business dealings.”

Sounds like Al is going to get his money one way or another. Juanita, stay prayed up girl!

Source: RollingOut.com

Whatever you might think about T.I., the choices he’s made and the situations he’s found himself in over the past five years, you must admit that when he finally sits down to speak on all of it, there’s a level of honesty we can’t help but respect. Recently, in promotion of his new album “Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head,” T.I. has had to answer a lot of questions regarding the time he spent in jail and, in stark contrast, the relationship we see him share with his wife and children.

In an interview with ROLLING OUT, the interviewer asked T.I. whether or not he felt people in the hood have more respect for people who go to prison rather than those who go to college. See what he had to say about the subject.

That’s a misconception. I think white folks put that out there because they want us to feed off that. I grew up in Bankhead, been around Campbellton Road, Simpson Road, West End and every ghetto in Atlanta. And I never thought it was cooler to go to jail than to go to college. I knew college wasn’t for me, but I knew jail wasn’t for me, either. If you give me the option between jail and college, I’m taking college. They have women in college, ain’t no women in jail. I’ve never thought that. And no one I ever spoke to said, ”Man, something in me wants to see what it’s like to go to jail.” On the other hand, we knew that we were doing things that could land us in jail. But we never thought it was cool. That’s a misconception. If you’re a teenager, or whatever, don’t believe that going to jail is cool. I’ve been in there with people who are doing 20-year bids and life sentences. Those folks never feel like it was cool.

And since T.I. has had personal experience in this area, he explains how being in prison affected him.

When I went to prison in 2009, I had so much resentment for the system. When you’re in a certain element, you can exercise certain strengths. But when you place me in a jungle and it’s all about survival, I’m going to have tp posture myself in a way I’m fit to survive. By the time I came out of prison, my mind-set was different from when I went in. Prison did me no good. But personally, I regressed completely.

And  in an interesting interview with the Breakfast Club, T.I. explained how that regression from the first prison bid, contributed to him going back the second time.

With me going on the campaign trail and speaking to kids, I actually had developed new policies and procedures. My character had changed for real. And when your character changes you become a more positive thinking, a more law abiding, just a more even spirited person. And now you take all of these character progressions and you now say I got to go to prison?! Well wait a minute, these policies and procedures don’t apply here in this environment that you’re sending me to, so now I can’t use what I’ve learned. So now I’m going to adopt new policies and procedures to accompany my environment, because now it’s about survival.

So now I’m back on my square. I’m back like I’m trapping. Because I’m in general population… So now, by the time I get out, these new policies and procedures…what I’m just supposed to hit a button and go back to the way I was before I went in. No! No! So now, these policies and procedures that I had adopted from being in prison… I did more drugs in prison than I did all throughout “Paper Trail.” I was doing things that I hadn’t even considered doing in the free world in a long time, in prison, which tells you that my mentality had changed so much that when I came home, I was like ‘Hell man, whatever man, let’s get back to the get back.’ So now, that’s what put me in the mindset to where I could make that kind of slip up and mistake that I would have never made while I was on the “Paper Trail” run. But see nobody ever thought about that. They were like ‘T.I. man, he just dumb.’ Naw!

It’s sad it had to play out like that but it would appear that he’s certainly learned from and become a better man because of it.

Source: Shutterstock

From Essence

Q: Hello, Dr. Sherry. I have some serious issues with my husband of 14 years. We first married in 1998 and were married for seven years. I divorced him because he had a drug habit and chose it over our marriage. I remarried him after being divorced for only one year, only to find out he was still using drugs. He has been in and out of jail our entire marriage. The only time he really tries to be committed to this marriage is when he is in jail.

Once he is out of jail, he is back using drugs and doing whatever it takes to get the next high. He has said so many mean things to me, including talking about my appearance and short hair, only to say he said those things because he was angry with me.

He has accused me of cheating, which I have never done. Every time he is using drugs, I catch him with another woman. (I have even caught him in the car with another woman!) He tells me it is only about drugs, not sex. The ultimate offense was recently when I lost my job, and he was working at the time and he told me he would support me while I went to school. Instead he quit his job and told me he will never support me. I have been the main provider in this marriage, although we have no children together. I have three grown children from a previous relationship. Well, he has been locked up for three months now and keeps writing me, telling me to trust him, and he is very sorry. I need to know if I should move on or not. Honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg and not even everything.

Sincerely,
Twice Bitten

See what celebrity clinical psychologist Dr. Sherry Blake has to say about this situation on Essence.com.

Source: WENN

Any awkwardness that occurred at your Thanksgiving dinner table likely had nothing on what went down at Halle Berry’s LA home yesterday. In one of the worst celebrity Holiday custody exchanges ever, Halle Berry’s fiance, Olivier Martinez, 46, and the father of her child,36-year-old Gabriel Aubry, ended up in the ER after they got into a Thanksgiving tussle at her home. Gabriel was subsequently arrested and booked in jail, and I’m going to assume when all was said and done nobody had any Turkey.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Gabriel showed up to Halle’s house with Nahla for a custodial hand-off. We’re told Gabriel was still in the motor court (a rich person’s word for a giant driveway) when Olivier walked up to him and said, “We have to move on.”

According to witnesses, Gabriel then pushed Olivier and threw a punch at his face, but Olivier blocked it and the punch struck him in the shoulder instead. We’re told Gabriel then pushed Olivier to the ground, and Olivier cold-cocked him in the face, and a struggle ensued, ending with Olivier pinning Gabriel to the ground.

In the struggle, Gabriel suffered a broken rib, contusions on his face, and possibly a more serious head injury. Olivier may have broken his hand and suffered neck injuries as well. There are conflicting accounts as to whether Gabriel was rendered unconscious in the fight.

Police were called and Olivier made a citizen’s arrest for battery against Gabriel. Gabriel was escorted to the ER and, ironically, Olivier went to the same ER an hour later. The two were just down the hall from each other.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … a judge has issued an emergency protective order, which requires Gabriel to stay 100 yards away from Halle, Olivier, and Nahla.

Am I wrong for thinking, Gabriel, that’s what you get for trying to roll up on somebody for a Turkey Day beatdown?

According to TMZ’s timeline, at around 3:30 pm PST, Gabriel and Olivier were released from the hospital. Gabriel was taken into custody, while Olivier went back to Halle’s. Two hours later, Gabriel was booked for misdemeanor battery and his bail was set at $20,000. Apparently he had it because just one hour after that he was released from custody.

I have no idea how this whole situation is going to be explained, but the good thing is, sources told TMZ that Halle rushed Nahla inside the house when her dad and soon-to-be step-father starting going at it. I’m pretty sure the Berry thanksgiving was still horribly ruined but at least the little girl didn’t witness any of the brutality. At this point I’m still shaking my head at two grown a** men going at it in the driveway. Celebrities are not immune to family foolery on holidays.

Source: WENN

I suppose when it rains, it pours. Last month, we reported that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. was under federal investigation due to allegations of him exploiting campaign donations for personal reasons such as decorating his Washington D.C. home, which for a short period of time was on the market for $2 million dollars, and spending $40,000 on a Rolex watch for one of his lady friends. Well, the plot seems to have thickened and only a few days after Jackson was reelected to his Chicago-area district. Rumors have been circulating that the congressman’s plea deal, which is being negotiated by his lawyer with the federal government  is said to include jail time, a guilty plea to the misuse of campaign money, repayment of the misused funds, as well as his resignation from Congress for “health reasons”. It has also been said that he is at risk of losing his $80,000 yearly pension.

Oh, but there’s more: It seems that Jesse’s wife, Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson is being dragged into the mud as well. The Wall Street Journal reports that the federal investigation has expanded and Sandi’s relation to the financial mishandling is also being looked into and that she has become a subject of interest in the developing plea deal. Apparently the FBI has reason to believe that she too may have been involved his alleged funneling of campaign funds into the upkeep of his D.C. home.

The Illinois Congressman has been on a medical leave of absence from the House of Representatives since June and was treated for six weeks at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for bipolar disorder and has not made any public appearances since.

One can only hope that the allegations are not true, but with the rate the skeletons have been tumbling out of the closets of politicians lately and considering the fact that this isn’t the first time Congressman Jackson has made headlines regarding political scandal, who can really call it?

Unsurprisingly, the family has yet to comment on these speculations.

Source: WENN

Chad better be counting his lucky stars because he’ll be able to spend that time he says he wants to devote to working on himself outside the bars of a jail cell. This morning the former Miami Dolphin and ex-husband of Evelyn Lozada was sentenced in the domestic battery case against the “Basketball Wife” and he got off pretty easy. According to TMZ:

Chad showed up to a Florida courtroom for his sentencing this morning, where he pled “no contest” to a charge of domestic battery, stemming from the violent August 11th argument with Lozada over a condom receipt.

In exchange for the plea, Chad escaped a jail sentence — but was sentenced to 12 months probation and ordered to enroll in a batterers intervention program.

The judge also issued a no-contact order for the duration of his probation, blocking Chad from contacting Evelyn in any way — no email, no Twitter, no nothing.

Chad was also ordered to pay restitution — but the amount won’t be determined ’til next week.

Considering Chad has lost virtually everything else except his freedom, he ought to still have gleamed some sort of lesson from this situation. Let’s hope.

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Source: urbanislandz.com

From Blackvoices.com

Eight-time Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty Friday to not paying federal taxes on more than $1.5 million earned over three years.

Appearing in U.S. District Court in Newark, Hill admitted failing to file tax returns from 2005 to 2007. She faces a maximum one-year sentence on each of the three counts. She was charged three weeks ago.

Dressed in a dark jacket, white button-up shirt and a long reddish-orange skirt, Hill declined to comment after Friday’s hearing. During the hearing, attorney Nathan Hochman indicated that Hill planned to pay back the taxes she owes.

U.S. Magistrate Michael Shipp initially scheduled sentencing for early October but agreed to delay it until late November to give Hill time to make repayment.

Check out what Lauryn Hill did have to say in court on BlackVoices.com.

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A cell at the Clark County Detention Center, similar to one where boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is serving an 87-day term. Source: LATimes.com

To be an undefeated, five-division World Champion boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is definitely acting like a wimp.

Mayweather went to jail on June 1st after pleading guilty to domestic battery for beating his girlfriend, threatening her and threatening two of their three kids. He was supposed to report earlier, but the judge allowed him to delay his reporting date so he could fight on Cinco De Mayo. Now, just 12 days after going to jail, the boxer’s lawyers have asked the judge to let him serve the remainder of his jail sentence from home. Why? Well, according to FoxSports.com, Mayweather says the low-quality food and water have threatened his health and he is losing muscle tone which puts his boxing career in jeopardy.

Cry me a river.

Not surprisingly, Las Vegas Judge Melissa Saragosa denied his request.

The LA Times reports:

After being taken into custody to begin his sentence in a domestic violence case, Mayweather “discovered his subjective understanding” of jail conditions “was inaccurate,” Judge Melissa Saragosa wrote in a decision Wednesday that voided a scheduled Thursday hearing on the matter. “These facts do not give rise to jurisdiction of this court to modify defendant’s sentence.”

Saragosa was told by Mayweather’s attorneys that the boxer’s plan to fight for two more years was in danger because jail deprives him of proper nutrition and exercise. In a 35-page request, the attorneys cited a doctor’s report that said Mayweather’s caloric intake was one-fifth as much as it was outside jail and that isolation effectively stops him from exercise.

Mayweather began an 87-day jail sentence on June 1 after pleading to domestic battery for a physical confrontation with the mother of his three children.

“The court finds the alleged dehydration of the defendant to be self-induced as water is made available to him 24 hours a day,” Saragosa wrote. “The court further finds the estimated intake of only 800 calories per day is also self-induced as defendant chooses not to eat the food provided.”

Saragosa added the physical training areas “may not be consistent with his prior regimen,” but, “he is indeed provided sufficient space and time for physical activity if he so chooses.”

Like the old saying goes: If you can’t do the time, then don’t do the crime. As if a man hitting his girlfriend isn’t enough, Mayweather is a professional boxer who hit his girlfriend in front of their two kids. He faced 34 years in prison and got a mere 90 days and now he is asking to serve the time at home? On what grounds? The fact that, as Fox Sports reported, he isn’t drinking enough because he isn’t allowed bottled water and doesn’t enjoy tap?

This kind of hubris is definitely not limited to Mayweather, but it is a prime example of celebrities thinking they should nearly get away with murder in the case of battering women. When Michael Vick was convicted of dogfighting, he was sentenced to 23 months in prison (I think he ended up serving 19). In comparison, Mayweather received a slap on the wrist for a more egregious crime. Then again, Pastor Creflo Dollar is still preaching on Sundays despite being accused of punching his 15-year-old daughter. How is that legal?

I definitely don’t support the lock-em-in-jail-and-throw-away-the-key justice system when it comes to black men in our country. But I also think there is a time to be held accountable for physically abusing women whether you’re Joe Blow living in Detroit, a top-selling R&B singer, the biggest pastor in Atlanta, or an undefeated pro boxer. Especially a pro boxer.

It’s sad that Mayweather is having to spend time away from his kids in order to spend time in solitary confinement, but maybe this will be a lesson to his own kids that, despite their father doing it in front of them, it’s not okay to be hit on by your boyfriend or to hit your girlfriend. Jail is not a five-star hotel, it’s punishment. Requesting to go back to your mansion in lieu of serving your time in jail is ridiculous.  If Mayweather’s career is that important to him then maybe he should have saved his punches for the boxing ring instead of laying them on his girlfriend.

What do you think about Mayweather’s request to serve the rest of his sentence on house arrest?

Alissa Henry is a freelance writer living in Columbus, OH. Follow her on Twitter @AlissaInPink or check out her blog This Cannot Be My Life 

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Source: Examiner.com

I don’t think Tawanna can divorce her estranged husband, Allen Iverson, soon enough. A couple of months ago, Allen asked a judge to dismiss his wife’s petition for divorce because they were still having relations, but now he wants her locked up and doing time—although she may have sort of put herself in this position.

According to AI, while he was away in Asia for a basketball engagement, Tawanna ransacked his house, taking furniture, art, memorabilia, a large chunk of cash, and pretty much anything she could get her hands on. Allen says he’s asked his old lady to return his stuff on several occasions and she’s refused, so now he’s filed a motion for contempt in Georgia. Allen says Tawanna should be held in contempt for harassing him and thrown in jail until she returns her belongings. He also wants an order barring her from entering his home. He probably should have done that already.

I’d be careful if I was him though, especially when it comes to claims that his soon-to-be ex-wife took a wad of cash from the house. This is the same man who supposedly overdrew the couple’s account by $23,000 to buy jewelry, leaving his wife and kids high and dry. Not to mention he was recently ordered to repay the $850,000 he owes to a jewelry company. Tawanna was probably just trying to look out for her and the kids, although she may have gone about it in a ratchet way.

Do you think Tawanna should get time?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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mediaoutrage.com

Hey loves!  The weekend is almost over and while your favorite celebs were pretty quiet this week (it was a boxing weekend, after all), I managed to pull a few tidbits for you. Check it out!!

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