Latest news with #CornellLaw
Mint
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron to sue Coldplay after viral ‘Kiss Cam' moment with Kristin Cabot? Here's what we know
Ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron may file a lawsuit against Coldplay following the controversy from his kiss cam fiasco with his former colleague Kristin Cabot, a legal expert confirms, but he'd have to get really 'creative.' 'If we are getting creative, a possible claim would be for defamation, specifically as it relates to Chris Martin characterising the two as having an 'affair,'' attorney Camron Dowlatshahi from MSD Lawyers exclusively told Page Six. According to Cornell Law, defamation is a statement, either written or verbal, that hampers somebody's reputation. Byron and Cabot tried to hide their faces after they were caught hugging at Coldplay's concert last week when Chris Martin said, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.' Dowlatshahi says that to prove Martin made a defamatory statement, Byron would need to demonstrate 'that there wasn't an affair". This seems unlikely, as neither Byron nor Cabot has publicly denied the claim, and it has been shown that both have spouses. Additionally, the former CEO will have to prove in court that Martin 'knew or should have known' that he was not cheating 'but made the statement anyway with malice.' 'None of those elements will be met, so any claim against Coldplay would be frivolous,' Dowlatshahi said. 'I also very much doubt that Mr. Byron would want further public scrutiny by bringing a borderline frivolous suit against the event organisers and/or Coldplay," he added. Ray Seilie, attorney at Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP told PageSix, 'The only thing a lawsuit by Byron would accomplish is that it would keep his indiscretion in the news for much longer,' adding that it is 'extremely unlikely that Byron has a valid claim against Coldplay.' Seilie added, 'He has no expectation of privacy in a public arena and my guess is that he accepted an even broader release of privacy-related claims when he purchased his ticket." Dowlatshahi further confirmed, 'Typically, the terms and conditions of purchasing a ticket will include a provision granting the event organisers a license to use photos and videos of people in the audience, so the two-party consent state law doesn't apply. If Coldplay is not defined as part of the event organisers in the terms and conditions, the band isn't commercialising Mr. Byron's name, image and likeness outside of the context of the live performance at that time, so there's no claim there.' Dowlatshahi suggests that Byron might try to sue based on those grounds, but he 'won't be successful.'
CBS News
12-03-2025
- CBS News
Blood alcohol, witness misconduct, and texts: lawyers' motions shape Karen Read's second trial
This week, "motions in limine" for Karen Read's second trial were due to the court. Motions in limine are pretrial motions that seek the exclusion of specific evidence or arguments from being presented during a trial, according to Cornell Law. There is a hearing scheduled on these requests for March 18, but Judge Cannone may grant or deny these requests on paper before that hearing. There are more than a dozen requests from both prosecutors and defense attorneys. Summaries of the motions Defense attorneys want any evidence of an alleged fight between Karen Read and John O'Keefe on a vacation in Aruba in December 2021 to be excluded from trial. Defense attorneys have requested that witnesses be sequestered, and specifically asked for witnesses (potentially with exceptions for family) not to come in the courtroom. A reminder: witnesses Jen McCabe, Kerry Roberts, Brian Albert, and Colin Albert came and sat with the O'Keefe family during closing arguments in the first trial. Defense attorneys want mention of their payment to ARCCA witnesses excluded or partially excluded from trial. They also want the witnesses to be able to testify that they were hired as part of a federal investigation by the US Attorney's office, which has since closed. Defense attorneys want prosecutors to have no contact with witnesses during or after their testimony. Prosecutors want any evidence of an ongoing internal affairs investigation into police involved in this case excluded from trial. Prosecutors want the defense to be prohibited from using a third-party culprit defense. Prosecutors want evidence of Karen Read's blood alcohol level and testing done admitted at trial; defense attorneys want it excluded. Defense attorneys are considering calling Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey to the stand; prosecutors want evidence demonstrating why this is necessary before they do. Prosecutors want evidence of witnesses' prior misconduct, or "bad character" excluded from evidence, claiming defense attorneys alleged that nearly every witness was a liar in the first trial. Full analysis of motions For a full analysis of these motions, WBZ spoke at length with our legal analyst Katherine Loftus, which can be viewed on our YouTube page here. Karen Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV in 2022. Her defense argues she is the victim of an elaborate coverup and is being framed by a group of people that includes law enforcement.
