January 12, 2011

Another California Crackdown on Aggressive Paparazzi Drivers


Reports of accidents and injuries caused by paparazzi become more common every day in Southern California and other areas of the state. In a continued effort to curb these incidents the California legislature has increased the penalties for traffic violations by members of the paparazzi.

On the first of this month changes to a new state law took effect in California aimed at protecting the public from reckless and aggressive paparazzi drivers that endanger public safety. According to a review of changes in public safety regulations by AccidentInjuryLawyersForYou.com the new law increases the penalties for anyone caught driving recklessly in order to take photographs or video footage of celebrities.
The paparazzi take these photographs and videos in order to sell them to tabloids for publication. Since the death of Princess Diana, which is believed to have been caused by a high speed chase with paparazzi, aggressive and dangerous behavior has been a subject of greater scrutiny by public officials. California passed paparazzi related legislation as early as 1998 and amended the legislation in 2005 and 2009 (Section 1708.8 of the California Civil Code).
This new amendment (Assembly Bill No. 2479) increases penalties for traffic violations or interfering with the operation of a celebrity's car. The maximum fine has been increased from $2,500 to $5,000 and the possible jail time has been raised from six months to a year.
The law is not meant to protect only celebrities from being endangered but also family members and friends along with other drivers and pedestrians who might find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Although many celebrities applaud these new penalties there are opponents to the law, including the Newspaper Publisher's Association, who feel that the law is overly inclusive and that it unfairly targets those who are in the business of gathering news according to a statement by the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association released on August 23, 2010. A legal challenge to the constitutionality of the law may be expected if anyone is arrested under the new legislation.
Although it is unclear whether increased penalties will have an affect on the paparazzi who are constantly competing to get photos that can be sold for large amounts of money, it is clear that California’s legislative branch is willing and ready to raise the stakes in this dangerous game.
AccidentInjuryLawyersForYou.com provides free information to consumers about safe driving, recent changes in traffic legislation, choosing accident injury lawyers and dealing with injury claims.

January 11, 2011

Voting on Lottery system today @ National Board of Review

01/11/11- There is an initiative to change the time of the lottery (before a major event)
to take place at 10pm instead of midnight.  


Please vote on it, majority result will determine the Red Carpet line-up process going forward.  


Tell your friends.

January 10, 2011

Douglas Calls On Paparazzi To Pay Up For Cancer Shots


MICHAEL DOUGLAS is urging the photographers who got rich from their "macabre" photographs of him during his 2010 throat cancer battle to give some of the cash they made to charity.
The movie star admits it became a chore to face the paparazzi as he tried to battle his health crisis in private, and he fears their shots may have been "toughed up" to make him look more gaunt and sick than he really was.
Douglas admits the photos that appeared in the tabloids worried friends and prompted his father Kirk Douglas to jet to New York from Los Angeles - and now he thinks it's payback time.
In a new Today and Dateline NBC TV interview, the latest celebrity cancer survivor says, "They're (paparazzi) there every day. I guess curiosity's gotten them a lot of coverage... and there's so many outlets now these days.
"There was sort of a macabre enjoyment out of sort of watching me go down there for a while, I felt, by the paparazzi... You want to share (and) give 25 per cent to the United Nations or my favourite charity, you know? Cancer research?
"Why (do they) have the right to take your own identity, 100 per cent selfishly for your own gains?"
The constant scrutiny gave Douglas a taste of what it must be like for today's hot young stars who are never out of the tabloids.
He adds, "I just feel for all these young kids. I mean, the generations now, with the amount of paparazzi that they have and these video cameras... you just can't do anything."

January 1, 2011

Kourtney Kardashian run-in with photogs results in angry airport episode

Let’s hope Scott Disick shows more restraint disciplining his kid.

Kourtney Kardashian's baby daddy was caught on video on TMZ.com unloading a few F-bombs on a photographer who got a little too close to baby Mason at Miami International Airport Wednesday.

Disick, in a fit of rage, got in the face of the photographer, spouting, "How close can you get?? ... stand back, you f---ing idiot."

Despite the pleas of Disick, Kardashian and others in the traveling party to respect their space, photographers keep snapping off pics before Disick picked out one to make an example of.

Disick charged at the photographer, demonstratively pointed his finger in his face, and yelled, "Don't get that f---ing close to me!"

Disick, Kardashian and Mason - along with the rest of the party - were unharmed in the incident and quickly left the airport after the run-in.

Kardashian took her blog Thursday, warning paparazzi not to cross certain lines.

"Paparazzi beware. Please don't get too close to Mason. We don't like it," the reality star wrote.

"Stay at a friendly distance, don't ask dumb questions and we can all get along," Kardashian added.

Kardashian arrived in Miami to prepare for her hosting duties at the Ganesvoort Hotel on South Beach Friday night where she’ll headline the Ciroc New Year's Eve party.

With News Wire Services