However, the focus is more on Jasveen Sangha, a woman dubbed “the ketamine queen” of North Hollywood, and a licensed physician, Dr. Salvador Plasencia of Santa Monica. They were among those charged in an 18-count indictment, which included distribution of ketamine, among other things.
BRYAN KOHBERGER’S FIGHT AGAINST DEATH PENALTY GETS DAY IN COURT; EXPERT SKEPTICAL OF DEFENSE’S ARGUMENTS
If convicted, Sangha faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison in federal prison. Plasencia faces up to 10 years of federal criminal conviction for a ketamine-related charge and up to 20 years for a charge of falsifying records.
The death of Matthew Perry has highlighted the abuse of certain prescription medications. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
The two have a joint trial date set for March 4, 2025.
Three years after the on-set, accidental fatal shooting of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case was dismissed.
Prosecutors first charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023 but later dismissed the charge a few months later in April. However, after a new gun analysis, Baldwin was charged once more following a grand jury indictment in January 2024 and pleaded not guilty.
Meanwhile, gunsmith “Rust” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was also charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. She discovered the guilt of this first charge, acquitted for the moment in March 2024 and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The opposing fees were withdrawn in July of this year after it was revealed at trial that prosecutors allegedly withheld evidence from the defense. Although an amended motion to reinstate the fees was filed, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer of the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico said the state had not raised any factual or legal argument that justified granting the motion for reconsideration.
And on Dec. 23, New Mexico prosecutors withdrew their appeal of the court’s ruling to dismiss a manslaughter charge, marking the official end of the case.
The list of celebrities linked to the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex crimes case continues to grow, as do the accusations against the music producer.
In November 2023, Cassie Ventura, a longtime member of Combs, filed a civil lawsuit against Combs, adding allegations of sexual assault and abuse. The lawsuit was settled a day later. Six months later, federal agents searched two of Combs’ homes as part of an ongoing investigation into Combs related to human trafficking and other federal crimes.
And, in September 2024, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York officially charged Sean Combs with a three-count indictment with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Since then, multiple other alleged victims have come forward with accusations and lawsuits regarding Combs’ alleged abuse spanning over nearly two decades.
Lyle Menendez, left, and his brother Erik in their CDCR photographs, taken Oct. 10, 2024 (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation).
The trial date in New York is set for May 5, 2025.
Although they are celebrities of a different kind, Erik and Lyle Menendez have been on the Hollywood scene since 1993. Their trial was one of the first to be televised on Court TV.
Now, their story is being told through the lens of a new documentary and true-crime drama, “Monsters,” both streaming on Netflix. The brothers are currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole in California for the murder of their parents.
Former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón recommended their resentencing in a court filing in late October, arguing for a lesser sentence based on California state law and new evidence reflecting the abuse the brothers endured at the hands of their father.
On October 31, 2024, a resentencing hearing was set for December 11, 2024, but was delayed until January 30, 2025, to give the new district attorney, Nathan Hochman, time to review the case.
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Infamous convicted felon Scott Peterson made headlines last summer as his case was being reviewed, in part due to a new documentary released on Peacock that included an interview with Peterson.
The opposing charges were dropped in July of this year after it was revealed at trial that prosecutors allegedly withheld evidence from the defense. Although an amended motion was filed to reinstate the rates, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer of New Mexico’s First Judicial District Court said the state had not raised any factual or legal arguments to justify granting the reconsideration request.
He is currently serving life in prison without parole in California for the murders of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child. Originally, he was convicted and sentenced to death in 2005, but this sentencing was overturned in 2020 after the California Supreme Court found potential jurors were improperly dismissed. Peterson is in jail because the California Supreme Court affirmed the guilty verdict.
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For nearly two decades, Scott Peterson’s case has been reviewed through countless podcasts with a number of theories, and yet there has been no new evidence of anything other than Peterson’s guilt. However, in January 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project took over his case, claiming that Peterson was wrongly convicted.
Although Peterson has maintained his innocence since the crimes were committed in 2002, his requests for a new trial were granted and he remains being held at Mule Creek State Prison.
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Kelly Hyman is an attorney, TV legal analyst, Democratic political commentator and the host of the popular true-crime podcast, “Once Upon a Crime in Hollywood.” She has been called “a modern day Erin Brockovich” by Forbes and has appeared on Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, CourtTV, BBC and MSNBC. She focuses on complex litigation such as class actions and mass tort litigation. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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