Latest news with #LACountySheriff'sDepartment
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Smokey Robinson sex abuse case: Criminal investigation launched into Motown legend
The Brief Smokey Robinson and his wife were named in a $50 million lawsuit alleging them of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and creating a hostile work environment. Four former housekeepers who worked for the couple say Robinson would repeatedly rape them in his home. The LA County Sheriff's Department has now launched a criminal investigation into the Motown legend. LOS ANGELES - A criminal investigation has been launched into Motown legend Smokey Robinson following accusations of sexual battery, assault and more. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Thursday in a statement that its Special Victims Bureau is "actively investigating criminal allegations" against Robinson. The statement said the probe is in its early stages, and no other details would be provided. The backstory Last week, Robinson and his wife Frances were named in a $50 million lawsuit alleging he repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted four former housekeepers. According to attorneys with Harris & Hayden Law Firm, the four unnamed women accuse the couple of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence, and creating a hostile work environment. Some of the incidents date back to 2007. During a press conference on May 6, attorneys called Robinson a serial rapist and assaulter. Attorney John Harris said on multiple occasions Robinson would summon the women to his 'blue bedroom' and assault and rape them. PREVIOUS COVERAGE:Motown legend Smokey Robinson, wife accused of sexual assault Dig deeper Jane Doe 1 worked for the Robinsons from January 2023 to February 2024. Jane Doe 2 worked for the Robinsons from May 2014 to February 2020. Jane Doe 3 worked from February 2012 to April 2024 and Jane Doe 4 was employed the longest, having been a housekeeper from October 2006 to April 2024. Harris said they all quit due to repeated sexual assaults. "Our four clients have a common thread… they're Hispanic women who were employed as housekeepers by the Robinsons, earning below minimum wage. As low-wage workers in vulnerable positions, they lack the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from sexual assault throughout their tenure as employees for the Robinsons," Harris said during the press conference. "These women were all low wage earners living from paycheck to paycheck. They all feared missing a payday and not being able to pay their rent or buy food for their families. And also Smokey Robinson's celebrity status intimidated them and all made them feel powerless. I want to add that these four women were afraid of shame, familial humiliation, and embarrassment." Robinson's wife was also named in the lawsuit. Attorneys believe Frances knew about the alleged sexual misconduct and took no preventive action to stop it. Attorneys also say Frances created a hostile work environment. "They worked 60 hours a week and never got paid overtime. They were chastised by Miss. Robinson if they tried to eat, if they tried to take breaks. And that's part of the allegations. Just the employer-employee relationship they violated, we allege, numerous labor laws." Harris added. What's next Robinson's lawyer has not commented on the criminal investigation, but previously called the allegations "vile" and "false" and said the women's lawsuit was "simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon."
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
$15,000 reward offered for information in shooting death of Raejonette Morgan in LA County
LOS ANGELES - Officials are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects in connection with the shooting death of a young woman in Los Angeles County. What we know The incident happened on July 2, 2024, around 7:45 p.m. on Vermont Avenue near the 105 Freeway on-ramp. According to the LA County Sheriff's Department, the victim, 22-year-old Raejonette Morgan, was driving south on Vermont in her white Mercedes when an unknown vehicle drove up next to her on the driver's side and shot at her several times. This caused Morgan to crash into the corner of Vermont and the freeway, while the suspect vehicle drove away south on Vermont Avenue. What we know The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has increased the reward to $15,000 to incentivize new leads or tips from the public and encourage reluctant witnesses or informants to come forward with critical information. What you can do Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. The Source Information for this story is from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
CBS News
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Kim Delaney, best known for "NYPD Blue," will not face charges due to "insufficient evidence," DA says
Kim Delaney, an Emmy-winning actor known for her role on "NYPD Blue," will not face criminal charges in connection with her arrest in Marina Del Rey in an alleged domestic dispute over the weekend. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has declined to filed charges against Delaney and James Morgan, both of whom were arrested March 29, "due to insufficient evidence," Pamela Johnson, a spokesperson for the DA's office, confirmed in a statement Tuesday. After being arrested the prior Saturday, Delaney was released from custody Tuesday at 10:45 a.m., county records show. She was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon while James was arrested on suspicion of battery, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department. Deputies were called to a home along Marquesas Way around 9:45 a.m. for a reported disturbance, sheriff's officials said. Morgan was released on $20,000 bond and out of custody by Sunday evening, records show. Delaney, 63, is perhaps best known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama "NYPD Blue," for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1997. She has also starred in other television shows including "General Hospital," "Army Wives" and "All My Children."
CBS News
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Kim Delaney, actress known for "NYPD Blue," will not face charges due to "insufficient evidence," DA says
Kim Delaney, the actress best known for her role on "NYPD Blue," will not face criminal charges in connection with her arrest in Marina Del Rey in an alleged domestic dispute over the weekend. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has declined to filed charges against Delaney and James Morgan, both of whom were arrested March 29, "due to insufficient evidence," Pamela Johnson, a spokesperson for the DA's office, confirmed in a statement Tuesday. After being arrested the prior Saturday, Delaney was released from custody Tuesday at 10:45 a.m., county records show. She had been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon while James was arrested on suspicion of battery, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department. Deputies had been called to a home along Marquesas Way around 9:45 a.m. for a reported disturbance, sheriff's officials said. Morgan was released on $20,000 bond and out of custody by Sunday evening, records show. Delaney, 63, is perhaps best known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama "NYPD Blue," for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1997. She has also starred in other television shows including "General Hospital," "Army Wives" and "All My Children."
CBS News
28-03-2025
- CBS News
LASD deputies boycott Baker to Vegas run to show support for deputy convicted of excessive force
Deputies from more than 20 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stations are boycotting the annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay to show support for a fellow deputy convicted of excessive force. In February, a jury found Trevor Kirk guilty of a federal civil rights violation for using excessive force during an incident outside a Lancaster grocery store in June 2023. He was convicted after the LA County Sheriff's Department turned the investigation over to the FBI. Federal prosecutors said he assaulted and pepper-sprayed the woman, who allegedly matched a suspect description, after she started recording him and another officer with her phone while they were arresting a man. The two deputies had been responding to a possible robbery call. As Kirk awaits sentencing, facing up to 10 years in prison, some of his former colleagues in the department are speaking out in support — with deputies from more than 20 stations around LA County boycotting the annual 120-mile run. "Deputies have become reluctant in a dangerous situation because they are afraid of being the next Trevor Kirk," said Nick Wilson, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Professional Association , which provides legal aid and other resources to deputies. Kirk, a father of two, was relieved of duty without pay. He is scheduled to face sentencing on April 21. "This sends a very strong message to deputies who feel abandoned right now by their agency," Wilson said. Cesar Romero, president of LASPA, said he has been fielding calls from deputies since Kirk's conviction. He said they have been "voicing their frustration, their anger and their concern — how to go about doing about their job without having the concern of being prosecuted." They're boycotting the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, which brings together law enforcement each year, as a sign of protest. "What better way to do something that has never been done, certainly not by the sheriff's department," Romero said. Wilson said deputies cannot go on strike or just all call in sick so the boycott is one way to show support and solidarity. "It is the only thing that deputies can do within their control, within their power, that does not hurt their community," Wilson said. "So this is a very powerful example of standing in solidarity." Deputies joining the protest come from stations across a wide stretch of the region, from Lancaster to West Hollywood. Tom Yu, Kirk's attorney, said the LASD Training Bureau believed Kirk's use of force was reasonable and lawful. He has filed a motion to vacate the verdict while Kirk awaits sentencing. In a statement, the victim's attorney, Caree Harper, said Kirk was rightfully convicted and is "unworthy of protesting for." "He is not an ordinary deputy who was doing something he felt was the right thing to do," Harper said in the statement. "Kirk is a felon that threw my client down merely because she was filming an arrest that he was participating in." "He had no legal cause to violently throw her down without saying a word," the statement continues. "The hard-working women and men of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department should pick someone worthy of their protest." When federal prosecutors announced Kirk was being charged in September, LASD released a statement saying he had been relieved of duty pending the outcome of a criminal investigation. The agency's investigation was turned over to the FBI. "We have strict Department policies and procedures pertaining to the use of force and personnel are not immune from the law and accountability when they violate those standards," the department said in a statement. "We expect our personnel to make appropriate decisions that maintain the public's trust while serving our community with professionalism and respect." While announcing the guilty verdict in February, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California described the encounter which led to Kirk's conviction. In a statement , the U.S. Attorney's Office said Kirk approached the victim — identified only as "J.H." — after he saw her recording him on her phone while he and another officer were arresting a suspect in Lancaster. They were responding to a possible robbery and prosecutors said she also matched a suspect description. "Kirk then approached J.H. and, without giving any commands, attempted to grab her phone. J.H. turned away, at which point Kirk grabbed J.H. by her arm, hooked his left hand behind her neck, and violently threw her face first to the ground," the statement reads, adding that he later used his LASD radio "to give a misleading report that he was in a 'fight.'"
