Randy Lanier

Race car driver Randy Lanier was awarded a prize for being "Rookie Of The Year" at the Indianapolis 500 race in 1986 after finishing 10th in the race. However, by January of the following year he had entered the court system of Illinois on charges of being the head of a marijuana smuggling ring. Prosecutors charged that Randy Lanier had been involved in drug smuggling since 1978.

Randy Lanier began his racing career on a regional basis in 1982 alongside brothers Don and Bill Whittington, who would later be indicted alongside him on drug smuggling charges. In 1987, a federal grand jury in Illinois ruled that Randy Lanier was guilty of being part of an enterprise directed at distributing over 1,000 pounds of marijuana over a period stretching back six years. Additionally, Randy Lanier was soon after charged in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with similar offenses of participating in a marijuana smuggling ring. When he failed to appear in that court in February 1987, a search was launched. Randy Lanier was located in Antigua on October 26, 1987, along with his girlfriend Maria D. Maggi.

After being brought back to the United States, Randy Lanier was detained. During this time, a later court ruling by the US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Randy Lanier had prepared for his court appearance by directing Maggi on how to distribute and manage his assets in such a way that they could not be located by the US government.

Randy Lanier finally appeared in court in 1988, when his case was heard in Illinois. The case of Randy Lanier was heard alongside that of two other defendants and took fourteen weeks to reach a resolution, including five jury deadlocks during the course of deliberation. Although he was a non-violent offender, the charges at this time had increased to charges that he had organized the import of over 600,000 pounds of marijuana from Columbia. As such, the mandatory minimum guidelines for drug offenders dictated that he receive a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Government prosecutors requested that he be assessed a criminal forfeiture of $68 million in funds, but the jury ruled that he was only liable for $60 million in criminal forfeiture.

Following the imprisonment of Randy Lanier, his girlfriend Maria D. Maggi encountered her own legal problems. In November of 1991, she was indicted by a grand jury on charges of money laundering and obstruction of justice and sentenced to a total of nine years (108 months) in prison. An appeal to overturn the verdict in 1994 was unsuccessful. In 1995, her sentence was reduced to 97 months.

Since his indictment, Randy Lanier has turned his attention towards both attempting to overturn his sentence and towards various prison activities in his current Florida prison unit, including teaching yoga in a voluntary incarceration unit known as "The Challenge Program."

Overview of the Steve Harvey Divorce:
Born January 17, 1957, Steve Harvey is an American actor, entertainer, comedian and television personality, best known for his starring role in the hit WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show. Currently, the comedian is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program, The Steve Harvey Morning Show and the current host of the popular television game show Family Feud.

Harvey first performed stand-up comedy in the early 1980s in various nightclubs in Ohio. As his act got more popular, Harvey garnered the attention of television and film executives throughout the country. In 1997, Harvey got his big break, when he was asked to tour with the Kings of Comedy, along with other notable comedic stars such as, Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley.  

Steve Harvey has been married three times; he has four biological children, all from his first marriage, including twin daughters. Of the two previous divorces (Harvey is currently married) the drama and subsequent settlement was the most scrutinized with former wife and the mother of Steve’s children, Mary Lee Harvey.

In January of 1989, Steve Harvey, while in Arlington, Texas for a comedy show met Mary Lee Shackelford, a young woman who was working for Fashion Fair Cosmetics. The couple, after falling in love at first sight, married later that year.

The Steve Harvey Divorce marked the dissolution of the marriage between Steve Harvey and Mary Lee Harvey; the Steve Harvey Divorce was finalized in 2005, which ended the 17-yearlong marriage between Steve and Mary Lee Harvey. Although the case of the Steve Harvey Divorce, which was considered by various media outlets as a celebrity, the impact of the dissolution of a union is thought to be universal; amongst the events and undertakings within a divorce proceeding, a divorce has the potential to elicit heightened emotions, such as sadness and loss. Furthermore, the reasoning for the breakdown of a marriage – regardless of the degree of celebrity status – will typically provide a legal framework for the terms and conditions latent within a divorce settlement:

This particular divorce garnered media attention as a result of Mary Lee’s settlement demands: Mary Lee claimed that she deserved a large percentage of Steve’s assets as well as claims to his future revenues from comedy. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of Steve: the Steve Harvey Divorce Settlement offered Mary Lee $1,000 dollars per month for child support and disallowed her from retaining all property and business owned by Steve.

The Plea of ‘Contest’ and Challenge within the Steve Harvey Divorce:
An uncontested divorce is one in which both parties have reached a mutual agreement with regard to the reasons behind filing for divorce, as well as the placement of fault in conjunction to the breakdown of the marriage. In the case of the Steve Harvey Divorce, both Steve Harvey and Mary Lee Harvey seemed unable or unwilling to negotiate mutual terms of the divorce or reach an agreement upon the identification of fault. Mary Lee was enraged over the settlement; she sued her former husband in the Harris County District Court for swindling her during the divorce settlement. Mary Lee alleged that Steve and his lawyer cheated her into settling quickly and hid the fact that Steve was guilty of adultery, poor and neglectful parenting as well delivering physical and mental abuse. Mary added that during the Steve Harvey divorce she was not made aware of her rights to hire an independent lawyer—Mary used the same attorney as her husband who convinced Mary to settle on the $1,000 per month deal.

As a result of these claims and the fact that Steve has amassed a fortune of over $20 million dollars, Mary Lee’s case was ultimately settled out of court, where it was expected that the ex-wife received somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million dollars.

A Brief Summary of Michael Jackson’s Career:

Michael Jackson, born on August 28, 1958, was an American recording artist, singer, dancer, philanthropist and pop-icon. Often referred to as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time; Jackson’s contribution to music and dance, along with a highly-publicized personal life, transformed the singer into a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

Michael Jackson became a dominant figure in the music scene throughout the 1980s when the pop icon released legendary videos for his songs, including “Beat It”, “Thriller”, and “Billie Jean.” These videos were ultimately credited for transforming the medium into a tangible art form and a promotional tool; the popularity of these hit videos helped bring music television to fame. In addition to his videos, Jackon’s music albums are among the most successful efforts in music history; Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. In total, Michael Jackson has won 13 Grammy Awards, 26 American Music Awards, held 13 number-one singles in the United States and has sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide.

Although Jackson transformed music, aspects of the pop icon’s personal life, including his egregious appearance change his personal relationships and general behavior generated controversy. In 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse—this case was settled out of court and no formal charges were filed—and in 2005 the pop icon was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and various other charges after the jury ruled the musician not guilty on all counts.

The Death of an Icon: Details regarding the Death of Michael Jackson:

On June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson died in his bed at his mansion located at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. When Jackson’s body was first discovered, attempts at resurrection were applied by Conrad Murray, Jackson’s personal physician. These efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful, as Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics found Jackson’s body unresponsive and not breathing at roughly 12:22 local time. Reseruection efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 local time.

It was initially reported that Michael Jackson died from a sudden cardiac death, which according to the American College of Cardiology, is labeled as, “the sudden cessation of cardiac activity so that the victim becomes unresponsive, with no normal breathing and no signs of circulation.” The cause of Jackson’s cardiac arrest was reported as a combination of the potent drugs lorazepam, midazolam and propofol. The death, which has been formally ruled as a homicide, is currently being investigated; law enforcement officials are currently investigating Jackson’s physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, regarding his recommendations that Jackson combine these drugs to help him deal with stress and sleep.

Overview of the Tony Danza Divorce

Born April 21, 1950 Tony Danza is an Italian-American actor who is best known for starring on the hit TV series Who’s the Boss? For this role, Danza was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and one Emmy Award. Additionally, Danza won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series for his work on the sitcom The Tony Danza Show.

Shortly after graduating from college, Tony Danza was discovered by a television producer at a small boxing gymnasium in New York City. Following this encounter, Danza earned a spot on the television show Taxi, which ultimately propelled the actor into stardom. In 1986, following the acceptance of this role, Danza married for the second time, to Tracy Robinson. The couple separated in early 2006, but remained married until March 10, 2011, when the couple officially filed for divorce. The couple shares two daughters, Katherine and Emily.

The Tony Danza Divorce marked the dissolution of the marriage between Danza and Carpenter; the Tony Danza Divorce was filed in March 2011 and remains pending in the California Court System—the divorce proceedings will effectively end the 25 year marriage with Robinson. The couple has cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce and has asked the settlement as well as the proceedings to be kept private. Additionally, the custody issues revolving around their two daughters will be kept, for the most part, private.

The Plea of ‘No Contest’ within the Tony Danza Divorce:

An uncontested divorce is one in which both parties have reached a mutual agreement with regard to the reasons behind filing for divorce, as well as the placement of fault in conjunction to the breakdown of the marriage. In the case of the Tony Danza Divorce, both Tony Danza and Tracy Danza opted to file for a divorce uncontested – or unchallenged – in nature, which retained the classification of the reason for the Tony Danza Divorce as a result, a bulk of celebrity couples undertaking divorce proceedings opt to either settle outside of court or file for divorce in an uncontested fashion in order to avoid potential media coverage and publicity.

The Terms of the Tony Danza Divorce Settlement:

A divorce settlement will typically include 3 primary facets with regard to the terms and conditions set forth by the presiding court official who was responsible for determining spousal support – in the form of alimony, child custody – and subsequent child support payments, and the division of assets. As a result of the couple’s requrest to undergo a relatively private divorce settlement is unkown how the couple’s assets and children will be dived amongst the individuals. It is assumed; however, that considering Danza’s success and fortune, he will be required to provide spousal support for Robinson. Additionally, it is assumed, as a result of the couple’s amicable departure, that the two will share custody of their daughters.

Overview of the Justin Henin Divorce

Born on June 1, 1982 Justine Henin is a recently retired professional tennis player and former World number 1. Throughout her career, Henin has won 43 WTA singles titles and seven Grand Slam titles, including two US Open titles, one Australian Open title and four French Open titles. Henin is often cited for her mental toughness, her foot speed and the variety of game she sports.

On November 16, 2002, Justin Henin married Pierre-Yves in the Chateau de Lavaux-Sainte-Anne. The marriage remained steady until the early part of 2007, when Henin withdrew from upcoming tournaments in Australia, including the Australian Open, citing personal problems. Various media outlets claimed that Henin was going through marital problems and had initiated the divorce process to dissolve the marriage with Pierre. Following these reports, Henin later confirmed on her official website that she had officially separated from her husband and she resumed her maiden name, as oppose to Justine Henin-Hardenne.

 Justin Henin Divorce marked the dissolution of the marriage between Justin Henin and Pierre Yves; the Justin Henin Divorce was finalized in 2007, which ended the 5-yearlong marriage between the couple. Following the administration of the divorce, Justin Henin claimed that the imbalance in the couple’s relationship was simply too great; che claimed that Pierre did not have a role in the relationship. She went onto say that her entourage had offered him a job but he refused to accept the position.

The Plea of ‘No Contest’ within the Justin Henin Divorce:

An uncontested divorce is one in which both parties have reached a mutual agreement with regard to the reasons behind filing for divorce, as well as the placement of fault in conjunction to the breakdown of the marriage. In the case of the Justin Henin Divorce, both Pierre Hardenne and Justin Henin opted to file for a divorce uncontested – or unchallenged – in nature, which retained the classification of the reason for the Justin Henin Divorce as a result, a bulk of celebrity couples undertaking divorce proceedings opt to either settle outside of court or file for divorce in an uncontested fashion in order to avoid potential media coverage and publicity.

The Terms of the Justin Henin Divorce Settlement:

A divorce settlement will typically include 3 primary facets with regard to the terms and conditions set forth by the presiding court official who was responsible for determining spousal support – in the form of alimony, child custody – and subsequent child support payments, and the division of assets. In the case of the Justin Henin Divorce, Pierre Hardenne and Justin Henin undertook a settlement with a ^. In the State of !, there exists a statute that recognizes joint assets accrued by a couple subsequent to marriage as ‘community property’; community property was split upon the finalization of the Justin Henin Divorce – supplemental agreements with regard to the additional furnishing of assets or monies are typically kept private . The Justin Henin divorce settlement was unusually simple; the couple did not have any children together and Pierre did not possess the fortune of Justine. As a result of the couple’s financial discrepancies, Justine offered her ex-husband 6.5 million Euros for spousal support. 

Overview of the Dylan Walsh Divorce:

Born November 17, 1963 Dylan Walsh is an American actor best known for his role as Dr. Sean McNamara in the hit FX television series Nip/Tuck. In 1996, Walsh married actress Melora Walters; together the couple has two children, Thomas and Joanna. Following the Dylan Walsh divorce, which occurred in 2003, the actor married actress Joanna Going on October 10, 2004, with whom the couple shares a daughter, Stelle. On December 15, 2010 Walsh announced that he had filed for divorce from Going, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for dissolution.

The Dylan Walsh Divorce marked the dissolution of the marriage between actress Joanna Going and actor Dylan Walsh; the Dylan Walsh Divorce was finalized in October of 2010 which ended the 6-yearlong marriage between the Hollywood couple. Although the case of the Dylan Walsh Divorce, which was considered by various media outlets as a celebrity, the impact of the dissolution of a union is thought to be universal; amongst the events and undertakings within a divorce proceeding, a divorce has the potential to elicit heightened emotions, such as sadness and loss. Furthermore, the reasoning for the breakdown of a marriage – regardless of the degree of celebrity status – will typically provide a legal framework for the terms and conditions latent within a divorce settlement:

The Plea of ‘No Contest’ within the Dylan Walsh Divorce:

An uncontested divorce is one in which both parties have reached a mutual agreement with regard to the reasons behind filing for divorce, as well as the placement of fault in conjunction to the breakdown of the marriage. In the case of the Dylan Walsh Divorce, both Dylan Walsh and Joanna Going opted to file for a divorce uncontested – or unchallenged – in nature, which retained the classification of the reason for the Dylan Walsh Divorce as a result, a bulk of celebrity couples undertaking divorce proceedings opt to either settle outside of court or file for divorce in an uncontested fashion in order to avoid potential media coverage and publicity.

The Terms of the Dylan Walsh Divorce Settlement:

A divorce settlement will typically include 3 primary facets with regard to the terms and conditions set forth by the presiding court official who was responsible for determining spousal support – in the form of alimony, child custody – and subsequent child support payments, and the division of assets. In the case of the Dylan Walsh Divorce, Dylan Walsh and Joanna Going undertook a settlement that remained undisclosed in regards to spousal support or the transfer of assets. That being said, Dylan Walsh filed for joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s 7 year old daughter; a legal battle, that the television star won.

Who is Elly Tran Ha?

If you’ve been wondering who Elly Tran Ha is, you’re not alone. The young and vivascious Vietnamese model rocked the Internet in 2008 after she released severely scantily-clad photos. Elly Tran Ha, during 2008 and the early portion of 2009, was known as the Internet’s “it-girl.” Now aside from other celebrities, who may have a discernible talent or reason for eliciting such fame, Elly Tran Ha earned considerable popularity solely based on her looks.

The Elly Tran Ha scandal does not hold the same blueprint as other celebrity scandals; Tran Ha was never caught soliciting prostitutes, doing drugs, committing crimes or engaging in any other illegal activities that seem so irresistible for Hollywood subjects. The Elly Tran Ha scandal was simply a buzzword, used to attract users to her scandalous pictures. Elly Tran Ha gained international notoriety as a result of her good-looks and full-figured body type. Numerous Vietnamese publications have dubbed her the “hottest girl in the world”, as her fame has crossed time zones and continental barriers. From Thailand, to China, Brazil and the United States, Elly Tran Ha has been posted on a plethora of websites, blogs, message boards and seemingly the most random of domain names. That being said, the abundance of photos of this young girl has not been met with information; the Elly Tran Ha scandal, can be labeled as such, because of the dearth of information and details associated with this young girl.

Why is Elly Tran Ha so Popular?

Elly Tran Ha capitalized on a fairly peculiar Vietnamese movement known as the “hotgirl” phase. This label, which is self-explanatory, is tied into the Internet; when a picture of an attractive Vietnamese girl is added to an unrelated website or blog posting the traffic will exponentially rise. No other girl drew more attention in the “hotgirl” phase than Elly Tran ha; when Tran Ha’s picture would be attached to a domain name, some bloggers and developers have claimed that their traffic went up by over ten thousand percent.

Elly Tran Ha, who is the leading symbol of the Vietnamese “hot girl” movement, is following in the footsteps of former model-Thuy Thop. As a result of her popularity and the captivation attached to her name, it is expected that Elly Tran ha will appear in an assortment of movies and award shows in the near future.

A Summary of the Frederick Chiluba Divorce

Born April 30, 1943 Frederick Chiluba is a Zambian politician who was the second President of the African nation from 1991 to 2002. Before being elected, Chiluba was a trade union leader, who won the presidential election in 1991 as the candidate of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy—Chiluba defeated long-time President Kenneth Kaunda. Chiluba was then re-elected in 1996; Chiluba, as a result of his re-election, was unable to run for a third term in 2001. Following his leave of office, Chiluba was the subject of a long and scandalous trial regarding alleged corruption; Chiluba was eventually acquitted from these charges in 2009.

Divorce Details regarding the Frederick Chiluba Settlement:

Frederick Chiluba, before he started his political career, married his child-hood love, Vera Chiluba in the 1970s. The couples, after 33 years of marriage, faced irreconcilable differences that ultimately ended their partnership. The couple opted for an annulment as oppose to a divorce; however, the Frederick Chiluba divorce settlement is regarded as one of the most costly in the history of marriage. At the time the couple split, Vera requested a settlement of a whopping $2.5 billion dollars—approximately three quarters of Zambia’s Gross Domestic Product. Enraged by this request, Frederick Chiluba contested the divorce, claiming that Vera is not worthy of such an egregious request. In addition to the $2.5 billion, Vera also requested some of the couple’s concrete assets, including six houses and a farm—Vera formally requested that Frederick transfer ownership of the couples 400 cows, sheep and goats. As a result of the sketchiness surrounding the true net worth of Frederick it is unkown how he was able to meet these request. Currently the divorce settlement is still pending; the couple is still arguing over the appropriate transfer of assets and monies. Vera, who is living off government assistance, has hired a team of lawyers and legal professionals to counter Frederick’s claims and refusal to give in to his former wife’s demands. 

Overview of the Laura Dern Divorce Case:

Born February 10, 1967 Laura Dern is an American actress, producer and director, who is most widely known for her starring roles in such hit films as Jurassic Park, Blue Velvet, October Sky, and rambling Rose. Throughout the course of her career, Dern has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a television show, miniseries or series.

Dern has had numerous high-profile romances throughout her acting career, most notably to Nicolas Cage, Renny Harlin, Jeff Goldblum, Billy Bob Thornton and Kyle MacLachlan. Additionally, Dern married musician Ben Harper on December 23, 2005 after dating for over five years. The couple shares two children together, son Ellery Walker and daughter Jaya.

Ben Harper filed for divorce from the actress on October 8, 2010 citing irreconcilable differences. The Laura Dern divorce marked the dissolution of the marriage between Dern and Harper; the Laura Dern divorce is still pending amidst reports that the couple is trying to work on their marital problems. According to additional reports, it has been stated that the couple has been spotted traveling together throughout their divorce proceedings. These reports go on to say that Dern and Harper have displayed public intimacy as recently as January. Reports; however are somewhat hazy regarding the filing of divorce and whether the couple will actually undergo dissolution of marriage. Regardless of the stage of the divorce proceeding, Dern, who at the time of the filing, claimed she was shocked and blindsided by the divorce filing. Confused and perturbed by the situation, Dern asked the Los Angeles County Division presiding over the divorce proceeding to split custody of their children. It has been reported Harper isseeking full-custody.

The Plea of ‘No Contest’ within the Laura Dern:

An uncontested divorce is one in which both parties have reached a mutual agreement with regard to the reasons behind filing for divorce, as well as the placement of fault in conjunction to the breakdown of the marriage. In the case of the Laura Dern, both Ben Harper and Laura Dern opted to file for a divorce uncontested – or unchallenged – in nature, which retained the classification of the reason for the Laura Dern as a result, a bulk of celebrity couples undertaking divorce proceedings opt to either settle outside of court or file for divorce in an uncontested fashion in order to avoid potential media coverage and publicity.

The Terms of the Laura Dern Settlement:

A divorce settlement will typically include 3 primary facets with regard to the terms and conditions set forth by the presiding court official who was responsible for determining spousal support – in the form of alimony, child custody – and subsequent child support payments, and the division of assets. Details surrounding the Laura Dern divorce are somewhat sketchy; conflicting reports have arisen claiming that the couple has reconciled their differences. That being said, the divorce papers are currently pending, for they have not been retracted by Harper. Surely the Laura Dern divorce case will garner more media attention as the circumstances and the details of the settlement will be elucidated upon.

Overview of the Jason London Divorce

Born on November 7 of 1972, Jason London is an American actor, who is best known for his starriing role as Randall Floyd in the 1980’s classic Dazed and Confused. Following this role, London has sporadically earned parts in smaller films; however, London has recently been in the news as a result of his lengthy divorce with former wife Charlie Spradling.

Jason London married Spradling in November of 1999. The couple remained married until 2002, when the couple separated amidst rumors of infidelity on the part of London. Although this relationship seems like any other Hollywood romance, the London case is somewhat unique because the divorce was not finalized until a decade later. Spradling and London filed a no-contest divorce in a Los Angeles family court; however, the divorce was never finalized because the documents were not formally entered into the city’s court system. The divorce documents, were just recently filed, in March of 2011 in a Los Angeles Superior Court, effectively ending the marriage between London and Spradling. As a result of this lengthy delay, London was not allowed to officially re-marry until his previous marriage was either annulled or terminated through divorce. Problems arose because of this situation, due to London’s longtime relationship with girlfriend Sofia Karstens. When the divorce was finally formalized earlier this year, London then proposed to longtime girlfriend Sofia Karstens—the couple plans to officially marry in the summer of 2011.

The Plea of ‘No Contest’ within the Jason London Divorce:

An uncontested divorce is one in which both parties have reached a mutual agreement with regard to the reasons behind filing for divorce, as well as the placement of fault in conjunction to the breakdown of the marriage. In the case of the Jason London Divorce, both Jason London and Charlie Spradling opted to file for a divorce uncontested – or unchallenged – in nature, which retained the classification of the reason for the Jason London Divorce as a result, a bulk of celebrity couples undertaking divorce proceedings opt to either settle outside of court or file for divorce in an uncontested fashion in order to avoid potential media coverage and publicity.

The Terms of the Jason London Divorce Settlement:

A divorce settlement will typically include 3 primary facets with regard to the terms and conditions set forth by the presiding court official who was responsible for determining spousal support – in the form of alimony, child custody – and subsequent child support payments, and the division of assets. In the case of the Jason London Divorce, Jason London and Charlie Spradling undertook a settlement that offered Spradling sole legal and physical custody of the couple’s 15-year old daughter. In addition, London is ordered by the Los Angeles Superior Court to provide over $1,000 per month in the form of child support payments to Spradling. Although this fee seems somewhat large considering London’s relative dearth of wealth, neither side in the Jason London divorce settlement was ordered to pay spousal support.