Still in Solitary, Nick Hogan Phones in Lawsuit
Nick Hogan does not want to be singled out by Florida’s Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department. Except when he does.
The Hulkster’s son, currently serving an eight-month sentence for felony reckless driving stemming from a crash that left his friend in critical condition, has filed a civil suit against the department for releasing recordings of his private phone conversations.
News of the suit surfaced on the same day a judge denied the younger Hogan’s request to be removed from solitary confinement because it’s causing him “unbearable anxiety.”
Hmm. Perhaps that’s why it’s called punishment.
Officials said the 17-year-old, whose real name is Nick Bollea, was originally separated from other inmates because he is, until his July 27 birthday, a minor. This, despite him being convicted in adult court.
The rejection and subsequent alone time shouldn’t smart the teen too much, however, as he seems to prize his privacy above all else.
Attorneys for Bollea have filed a civil suit against the Sheriff’s Office for what they claim is a violation of his privacy rights, after the office released a series of phone conversations between the jailbird, his wrestler father and his mother.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Marianne Pasha told News that the family had fairand frequentwarning their calls were being recorded.
“During the phone calls, there is a recording that comes on reminding callers that their call is being recorded,” she said. “All calls from the jail are collect calls and all persons involved in the calls are advised that the call is being taped.”
However, the Bolleas should feel free to go at it now.
“We cannot comment on this case because there is now litigation pending,” Pasha said. “And we will also not be able to release any more calls while this litigation is pending.”
Bollea’s attorneys, meanwhile, also claim the Sheriff’s Department allowed a news crew to film him against his wishes during a family visit. His attorneys claim that none of the releases should have been allowed, as none of the communiqués could be considered “public record.”
“It’s unfortunate that we are required to file a lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Office to compel them to follow the law and respect the privacy rights of a juvenile and his family,” attorney David Houston said. “A judge’s order should not be required to stop the Sheriff’s Office from putting Nick, his family and their most intimate thoughts on public display.”
Attorney Morris “Sandy” Weinberg agreed, adding that “Nick only asks that he be treated no differently than the other inmates at the Pinellas County Jail. Instead, the Sheriff’s Office has singled him out by the unprecedented release to the media of his personal calls with his family and the intrusion into his family visitations by the media.”
In the series of recordings released to the media, Bollea complains about the size of his cell, calls friend John Graziano, currently in critical condition as a result of the accident for which Bollea is serving time, a “negative person,” and also asks his father to secure a deal for him to appear in a reality show once he’s released from jail.
In response, Kim Kohn, one of the attorneys representing Graziano, tells News, “We are not both not surprised by the filing of the motion nor the judge’s decision to deny the motion.”
Killing Pablo Finally Gets the Greenlight
The Yari Film Group is fast-tracking Killing Pablo with Christian Bale (Batman Begins) and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) set to star. The Pablo Escobar bio-pic has been in development for nearly five years, and was originally set-up at Paramount. Joe Carnahan (Smoking Aces) is still attached to direct. Bardem is slated to play Escobar, while Bale is in talks to play Major Steve Jacoby, the Delta Force commander who led the hunt for Escobar. Everyone agrees that Bardem is incredible in the new Cohen Brother’s movie.
The Escobar story has also influenced countless movie and video game storylines. I’m guessing that the Entourage storyline which involved a Escobar biopic might have been responsible for the renewed interest. Medellin, the fake movie within the show, was greeted by horrible reviews at the Cannes Film Festival in the season finale storyline. Let’s hope that Carnahan’s version will be better received.
Based on Black Hawk Down author Mark Bowden’s book, “Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World’s Greatest Outlaw” is a tour de force of investigative journalism-this is the story of the violent rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the head of the Colombian Medellin cocaine cartel. Escobar’s criminal empire held a nation of thirty million hostage in a reign of terror that would only end with his death. In an intense, up-close account, award-winning journalist Mark Bowden exposes details never before revealed about the U.S.-led covert sixteen-month manhunt. With unprecedented access to important players-including Colombian president César Gaviria and the incorruptible head of the special police unit that pursued Escobar, Colonel Hugo Martinez-as well as top-secret documents and transcripts of Escobar’s intercepted phone conversations, Bowden has produced a gripping narrative that is a stark portrayal of rough justice in the real world.
The Los Angeles Times called the book: “The story of how the U.S. Army Intelligence and Delta Force commandos helped Colombian police track down and kill Pablo Escobar is a compelling, almost Shakespearean tale.”
Yari told Variety that the film could begin shooting as early as June 2008, if SAG doesn’t go on strike (June 30 is the deadline). If a SAG strike does happen, the production will be delayed until after the work stoppage.
Britney Spears’ “Dear Mama”
Britney Spears’ “Dear Mama”
It never ends. Britney Spears keeps pushing the envelope of acceptable behavior between a daughter and her mother. This time she’s written a poem entitled “Dear Mama” in which she berates Lynne Spears for trying to have a relationship with her grandchildren.
The poem starts off with Brit telling her mom “that she [Britney] didn’t have a mom anymore and she couldn’t imagine a mother doing what she did to her child.” Along with the poem, Spears also hand-delivered legal papers and a CD containing recordings of phone conversations between Lynne and Kevin Federline.
The conversations are reportedly evidence of Mama Spears and K-Fed working together to try to get Britney to go into rehab, and also arranging visitation between Lynne and her grandsons.
“I have to be careful that Britney doesn’t find out!” said Lynne on one of the phone calls. Britney apparently hired a private investigator to find out what was going on between Federline and her mother.
In another conversation, Kevin told Lynne that his legal proceedings with Britney were going his way. “Kevin told Lynne that he had everything under control. He was just going to let Britney hang herself in court,” reports an insider.
What does this all mean? We’ll keep you updated.