Get out the banjo, here’s one you don’t hear every day. Actor Bill Pullman’s 19-year-old son Jack was arrested for possessing moonshine and assaulting a government official. I was under the impression that moonshine was best left to the Great Depression and old James Taylor songs, but apparently it holds a great deal of appeal to the teenage spawn of semi-famous actors.

Bill Pullman’s 19-year-old son has been busted for allegedly possessing moonshine and assaulting a government official.

According to Ashville, N.C., news station WLOS, Jack Pullman and his friend, Allan Gaddy, also 19, were arrested Monday and face numerous charges including resisting officers, assaulting a government official, underage drinking and possession of moonshine. The two were released from jail the following night.

Pullman – who starred in Independence Day, Sleepless in Seattle and many other films – has issued no comment.

[From People]

The Pullman family must be so proud. Times must be tough if young Jack is resorting to the shine. I’m pretty sure even an average, broke teenager can normally get someone to buy them a six pack. But apparently young Jack thought it best to go the homemade route. Moonshine is technically any alcohol brewed illegally, though it’s generally pretty foul. According to Wikipedia, it can have a host of unsavory flavors.

…it sometimes contains impurities, off flavors, and toxins such as methanol. The off flavors come from improper brewing, while methanol may result from inexpert distillation or be added by unscrupulous producers to increase the apparent proof. In popular culture, moonshine is usually presented as being extremely strong and in North America is commonly associated with the Southern United States and Appalachia.

[From Wikipedia]

That’s just to dissuade anyone in case you thought brewing your own alcoholic beverages would be a good way to pinch a few pennies in these lean times. It isn’t going to taste like that cognac you’ve been craving.

Here’s Bill Pullman filming a documentary on location in Ipanema on Tuesday. Images thanks to WENN.

Beauty queens sure are getting a bad rap lately. Over the last few years there was Miss Nevada Katie Rees, who was caught drinking underage, using cocaine, and performing various lewd acts in public with other female contestants. Then she was arrested and looked ugly – the greatest insult of all. There was Miss Arizona contestant Kumari Fulbright, who teamed up with an ex-boyfriend, his brother, and a third man, to kidnap and torture another ex-boyfriend. She too was also guilty of taking a really horrible booking photo.

Miss New Jersey, aka Amy Polumbo was blackmailed with some not-very-racy photos that had been on her Facebook page. And Miss Puerto Rico, Ingrid Marie Rivera, was poisoned with pepper spray a year ago. And that is to say nothing of the embarrassing stumbles, excessive partying, and issues with Donald Trump that have plagued several beauty pageant constants. Clearly, it’s dangerous to be involved in the beauty pageant circuit – either because you’re going to be harmed or because you’re probably crazy. Or just very, very stupid. And today we have a perfect example of the latter.

Miss Teen Louisiana USA Lindsey Evans and three friends were arrested over the weekend for leaving a Bossier City restaurant without paying their bill.

Police say the 18-year-old Evans of Blanchard left her purse at the restaurant and the women were arrested when they returned to get it.

Police spokesman Mark Natale says Evans and her friends were booked Saturday night on charges of theft after they ran up a $46.07 bill and left without paying. He says the women admitted intentionally leaving without paying their bill.

In addition to the theft charge, Evans was booked with possession of marijuana that was found in her purse. The other women face similar charges. All four were released from jail Sunday after posting bond.

Evans’ reign as Miss Teen Louisiana ends in November. A spokesman for the Miss Louisiana Teen USA organization says they spoke with Evans on Monday but have not decided whether to take action against her. That action could include her losing her title.

[From Fox News]

Well that sounds like a fabulous reason to lock someone up and throw away the key. Not because the crime was so out of this world horrible – clearly I’ve just demonstrated that beauty queens are very likely to poison each other with pepper spray and/or kidnap and torture ex-boyfriends. Running out on a bill and smoking a little pot is nothing. But this girl is dumber than all the other beauty queens, and that says something. There should be consequences. Or at least lots of shame. Something tells me that will happen no matter what, followed by a tearful explanation on the Today Show.

I remember when the original trial of the century wrapped up. I’d brought my walkman to school so I could listen to the O.J. Simpson verdict. Though it ended up being unnecessary because the headmaster announced it over the intercom. I bet kids today will have a similar, vivid memory of the day the legal system stood still asking the question: did Britney Spears drive without a license?

Well it turns out it was a much more complicated question than the rest of us realized, because a jury of 12 of her peers were unable to decide. Yep, it was that hard, and ended in a mistrial.

The trial of the century is finally ovah!

The jury could not reach a verdict and the judge declared the whole thing a mistrial. The jury vote came back 10 not guilty, two guilty. That wasn’t a waste of time at all.

Britney was popped for driving without a license last year — and for reasons that defy explanation, it made it all the way to trial.

Jurors spent yesterday deadlocked 10-2 but were ordered to continue deliberating. She faced a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor.

Spears was a no-show the entire trial.

Prosecutors could ask for another trial. That would be a good use of taxpayer’s money.

[From TMZ]

My goodness I hope they try her again. I expect nothing less than prosecuting her to the fullest extent of the law – otherwise vigilante justice might break out. Clearly Britney’s life hangs in the balance – if someone doesn’t step in and help her – or lock her up – who knows what will happen? Oh wait, that was months ago. And no one gives a shit about this. With the exception of the prosecutor who clearly wanted some attention.

We’ll wait with baited breath to see if Britney escapes justice again. Or to see if the prosecutors in California have anything better to do with their time.

Here’s Britney visiting a studio in Hollywood last Wednesday. Images thanks to Fame.

I knew the qualifications for being Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend were pretty specific. You’ve got to be a certain cup size, a certain band, certain waist size, and your I.Q. can be no higher than 100. While those seem pretty strict, I didn’t realize they are literally the ONLY requirements to be Hef’s girl. Turns out your face can look more like your ass and you can have multiple assault arrests on your record and you’re still a-o.k. So basically there is a beauty from the neck down rule, but no sanity rule. Your head doesn’t count at all.

Lucky for 19-year-old twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon. They’ve given the beat down to others, to each other, and I’m guessing someday to Kendra and whoever else dares to stay in the Playboy mansion. I seriously hope they lock the grotto at night.

Karissa (left) and Kristina Shannon (right) — who have recently moved into the Playboy Mansion — were both busted by St. Petersburg, Fla. police for felony aggravated battery back in January. They both received probation and were ordered to pay restitution to the two victims.

Karissa also has a misdemeanor battery charge on her record from 2007. Atta girl!

Playboy had no comment.

[From TMZ via Evil Beet]

Karissa also beat the crap out of Kristina two months before the above assault. She kicked Kristina in the face, which really isn’t all that surprising. Though both girls are supreme butterfaces, Karissa looks distinctly uglier than Kristina. I think she was just trying to even stuff out.

Hugh Hefner’s new twin GFs don’t just beat the living crap out of other people — they also kick the s**t out of each other.

We’ve learned Karissa Shannon was arrested just two months before she and sis Kristina were pinched for aggravated battery back in January. In this case, however, she was popped for kicking her own twin sister in the face. Lovely.

Here’s the blow-by-blow, according to the charge report: When cops showed up, Kristina was lying on the ground outside their apartment “wearing only blue jean pants” and “bleeding from her nose,” while Karissa was standing over Kristina asking who had done this, “as if she had no idea what had happened.”

Best part: a neighbor said he witnessed the one twin kicking the other twin in the face, though “he could not identify which sister was which.” Karissa eventually fessed up.

[From TMZ]

I seriously hope Hef has 24-hour security around him. There is no way I would trust these girls. They’re 19. He’s 83. They’re evil/crazy and will beat down someone they used to share a womb with. What do you think they’d do to get their hands on some of Hef’s cash? Not that Holly Madison was all that classy, but these girls make her look like some kind of saint in comparison.

Here are the twins’ booking photos; Karissa is on the left. Header of Hugh Hefner the twins on either side of him at the 2nd annual Leather Meets Lace event to benefit Jenny McCarthy’s charity Generation Rescue held at the Playboy Mansion on October 4th. Images thanks to WENN.

Ears around the world rejoice! Grammy award winning female rapper Lil Kim, better known for flashing her T&A than her actual skills as a hip-hop artist, is embroiled in a dispute with her record label that effectively forbids her to record new material elsewhere until a deal is worked out. The record label, Brookland, is claiming that it paid out hundreds of thousands to Kim’s former label, and then paid for her rent at her NYC apartment while she was in town to record. Kim’s people say the pint-sized rapper backed out of the deal with Brookland because they failed to hold up their end of the bargain. Now, the dispute has gone to court- and a judge has sided with the record label.

A New York judge has temporarily barred the Hardcore rapper from recording any new material in light of a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by her latest label, Brookland Media.

The upstart company accused Kim (real name: Kimberly Jones) of making diva-esque demands and then backing out of a deal, after Brookland had paid Atlantic Records $200,000 to get her out of her previous contract, spent $240,000 to produce eight songs and shelled out $12,000 per month in rent for a pad near Kim’s Alpine, N.J., home.

Per the lawsuit, Brookland had planned to spotlight Kim as its debut artist.

Which, if you ask Kim, could still happen—although, if it doesn’t, it’s no fault of hers.

“We think they’re wonderful people and we expect to do business with them,” Kim’s attorney Londell McMillan told the New York Daily News. “But they did not honor the terms of the agreement.”

[From E!Online]

If Lil Kim thinks she still has enough star power to jerk around a record label, she is sadly mistaken. Her last hit single was the theme from the movie “Moulin Rouge,” a remake of “Lady Marmalade” with Christina Aguilera, Pink and Mya. Since then, she’s been in the headlines for her legal woes more than her hits. She did release a CD from prison in 2005 which was received well by the critics but didn’t make much of a dent in the music charts. At this point she’d be well advised to cool the diva demands and get back to work, before people forget who she is.

Lil Kim is shown at the BET Awards on 6/24/08. Credit: Fame Pictures

Boy Britney Spears’ lawyers sure are intent on doing their best to bleed her dry. I don’t even want to imagine the kinds of billable hours she’s racked up in the last year on her dumb traffic court-worthy case. In August of 2007 Britney slammed her car into the side of a parked Mercedes in a parking lot. The whole thing was caught on tape, and Brit was seen getting out of her car and inspecting it thoroughly, while never moving her head four inches to even glance at the other person’s car.

Unfortunately for Brit – and fortunately for everyone else – the car’s owner saw the tape and Britney was arrested and booked for hit-and-run. The case is STILL pending in court – and she has rejected a more than generous plea deal.

An attorney for Britney Spears has rejected a plea offer that would have placed her on a year’s probation and forced her to pay a $150 fine in her misdemeanor driver’s license case.

Attorney J. Michael Flanagan says Spears would consider an offer that reduces the charge to an infraction and requires her to pay a $10 fine. He says if the case does go to trial as scheduled later this month, he will appeal any conviction.

He says the 26-year-old singer is being unfairly targeted because she is a celebrity and doesn’t deserve a blemish on her criminal record.

The charge is the last remnants of a criminal case that city prosecutors lodged against Spears after she hit a parked car in August 2007 and left without notifying the owner.

[From Yahoo News]

I appreciate that Britney has done a lot in the last few months in terms of improving her life. However the consequences from having a breakdown don’t just go away because you got better. Part of really improving is taking responsibility for her mistakes, and this was clearly one. It is no one’s fault but Britney’s, and I’m upset she was offered such a ridiculously lenient plea deal. I’m not saying they should lock her up and throw away the key, but there should be more than this. She was an absolute fool to employ this lawyer and a bigger fool for listening to him.

I can’t wait to see what kind of punishment she ends up with.

Here’s a slightly-disheveled Britney Spears arrives at JFK International Airport as she leaves New York City on October 2. Images thanks to Bauer-Griffin.

Indy 500 and Dancing With the Stars winner, Helio Castroneves, has been indicted on Conspiracy to Defraud the US and Tax Evasion after allegedly hiding over $5 million in an offshore account.  Hardly anyone had heard of this guy before his DWTS stint and hardly anyone has heard of him since.  He was probably counting on that when he filtered that $5 mil into that account.

According to the indictment, Helio and two others are accused of using “an offshore Panamanian shell corporation Seven Promotions to conceal and disguise the true and correct amount of Helio Castroneves’ income from the Internal Revenue Service.”

They are accused of trying to “conceal and disguise” Helio’s income. One of the charges — that Helio received $2 million in salary from a Brazilian trading company but made it appear that he only received $200,000.

[From TMZ]

Those zeroes can be confusing sometimes, especially when there are that many of them, I guess.  I’d have to speculate, of course, but if my income had as many digits as my telephone number, I might lose track.

Castroneves’ sister, Katiucia, and lawyer, Alan Miller, were also indicted with the same charges.  Katiucia has got to be kicking herself today. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for my brothers, but I think I’d draw the line at committing felonies. I’m sure she thought she’d get a nice tidy sum if they pulled it off but her math now has to include a possible prison term.  Each charge carries a possible 5 years in federal prison.

Helio is a tricky guy.  He hid the demise of his relationship with fiance’ Alietta Vazquez during his Dancing With the Stars because he was worried it would make him look bad and he’d lose support in the public voted show.  There were rumors he was having an affair with his dancing partner, Julianne Hough, who apparently just has incredible chemistry with any man she dances with because she was rumored to have been secretly dating Apollo Ohno the season before.  She won the show and that classy looking mirror ball trophy with both of them.

Helio Castroneves is probably wondering what he can get for that trophy on eBay right about now.

Helio Castroneves is shown at the “23rd Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner to Cure Paralysis” in NY on 9/22/08. Credit: Donna Ward / PR Photos

It appears that Heather Locklear isn’t doing so well after her month long stay in a treatment center for anxiety and depression. Locklear was cited for driving under the influence last night in Santa Barbara, according to TMZ and People.

TMZ has learned Heather Locklear was arrested yesterday on suspicion of driving while impaired. Locklear was pulled over while driving in the Santa Barbara area.

Law enforcement officers tell us alcohol was not involved, however they are conducting tests to determine if Locklear was under the influence of drugs. We’re told she was released on her own recognizance, without having to post bail.

This could set up a bizarre custody battle given that Locklear and ex hubby Richie Sambora have both been busted for similar charges.

Sambora pleaded no contest to DUI back in March — his daughter Ava was in the car at the time he was popped. We’re told Heather’s kids were not in the car when she was arrested. In June, Heather checked herself into an Arizona medical facility to fight anxiety and depression.

[From TMZ]

There was some speculation that Locklear’s depression/anxiety was just a cover for being treated for a drug and/or alcohol problem. According to the National Enquirer, Heather’s quietly dealt with alcoholism for years. Though people who aren’t alcoholics can certainly get DUIs, this does lend a little more credibility to that rumor.

TMZ points out that Locklear’s ex-husband Richie Sambora got a DUI in March. You can’t help but feel really badly for their daughter Ava. Though both he and Locklear have managed to keep decent reputations despite their issues, this must take a toll on their child. She’s got two parents that are each in some kind of chaos, whether it’s addiction or mental health issues. And it’s very possibly both.

Normally it’s sort of a cliché when a celebrity checks themselves into rehab right after a DUI arrest. But since Heather’s been in some sort of treatment recently, it’d probably be a really, really good idea to do that.

Here’s Heather and Richie with their daughter Ava before their divorce. Images thanks to WENN.

OJ Simpson’s legal team experienced their first loss last night. The lawyers for Simpson and his co-defendant Clarence “C.J.” Stewart fought to keep two African American females on the jury; however David Roger, the district attorney was trying to use two of his peremptory challenges to excuse the women. Each side has a certain number of peremptory challenges which they can use to exclude a juror without having to state a specific reason. However the D.A. did state that race had nothing to do with his reasons for wanting the women off the jury.

Each of the women had stated that they were very religious, and had indicated that they would either be more inclined to forgive rather than punish Simpson, or would have a hard time sending someone to prison. As a result of the jury’s final racial makeup, the defense tried to get the entire jury thrown out so they could start from scratch; however Judge Jackie Glass rejected their motion. Simpson’s trial will start with an all white jury. Two of the six alternates are African American.

An all-white jury will judge O.J. Simpson and a co-defendant on kidnapping and robbery charges after defense lawyers lost a contentious courtroom battle to include two African-American women on the panel.

Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass said she saw no evidence of a systematic exclusion of African-Americans. The current panel also is made up of nine women and three men. Defense attorneys for Simpson and co-defendant Clarence “C.J.” Stewart, who are both black, moved to dismiss the entire jury panel and start again but the judge rejected the motion.

Lawyers and the judge worked into the night to select the final group, using peremptory challenges, which are reserved for removing prospective jurors without stating a cause.

The final pool of prospects included a number of people who disagreed with Simpson’s acquittal in the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. But they said they could put that aside and weigh the Las Vegas case on its own merits.

[From the Huffington Post]

Simpson and Stewart have been charged with armed robbery, kidnapping, and assorted other crimes after breaking into a sports memorabilia collector’s hotel room with a team of other men last year. They could face life with the possibility of parole if they’re convicted of the kidnapping, and serious time if they’re convicted on the robbery counts. The opening statements begin on Monday, and the trial is expected to last about five weeks.

The term “race neutral” for David Roger‘s peremptory challenges obviously doesn’t necessarily mean race wasn’t a motivating – or even predominating – factor in his decision to release the two prospective jurors. But he doesn’t have to give a specific reason; and how the jury is made up is supposed to be a big tug of war between the two sides. Regardless of the race issue, I can’t imagine an attorney that wouldn’t have a problem with jurors who said they’d be hesitant to convict someone of the crime they’re about to try. Obviously you wouldn’t want those people on your jury if you could avoid it.

Here’s some older photos of O.J. outside the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas in November 2007. Photographer: Mike Stotts. Images thanks to WENN.

Rapper, producer, reality star, Mariah Carey’s BFF, and all-around badass Da Brat (real name Shawntae Harris) has just been sentenced to three years in prison for an attack that occurred at Jermaine Dupri’s Studio 72 nightclub in Atlanta this past Halloween. She hit Shayla Stevens, an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader, in the head with an almost full liquor bottle. Da Brat must also must serve seven years of probation and complete 200 hours of community service.

Harris also must get substance abuse treatment and a mental evaluation and attend anger management classes. “She feels a great deal of remorse for what she did,” said Harris’s lawyer, Thomas Clegg. “She is willing to accept responsibility for what she has done.”

A handful of Harris’s family sat on the back row of the courtroom. They wept when a sheriff’s deputy took her into custody. “I love y’all,” Harris, 34, said as she was led out of the courtroom. “We love you too” the relatives replied in unison.

Dressed in black pants and top with her short hair in braids, Harris did not comment other than to answer “yes” several time when the judge asked her if she understood her guilty plea to a felony aggravated assault charge and her negotiated sentencing.

[From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

As a result of the blow Stevens was knocked down some stairs and landed on a cement floor. She suffered a severe facial cut and will have permanent scars. She was in court but didn’t say anything. Stevens is also suing Da Brat for medical and other costs. Da Brat isn’t just an occasional reality TV star (The Surreal Life and Celebrity Fit Club); she’s also a very well-respected – and highly paid – Grammy nominated producer. I doubt she’ll end up serving all three years, but that is a surprisingly long sentence compared to what some people end up doing for even worse crimes like manslaughter.

Here ‘s Da Brat at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of ‘Tennessee’ on April 26th. Images thanks to WENN.