Richie Sambora Arrest Threatens Child Custody Privileges

09 Apr

Filed Under DWI, Divorce, Richie Sambora, Healther Locklear | Leave a Comment

You can lose more than the car keys driving drunk.

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora’s March 25th DUI arrest may not only cost him jail time, it may cost him his child. Because of Sambora’s alleged criminal conduct, his custody rights–specifically his visitation privileges– over his 10-year-old child with ex-wife Heather Locklear are now in jeopardy.

Police stopped the musician when the car he was driving was reportedly weaving on the roadway. When Sambora stepped out his car, he reeked of alcohol. Even worse, Ava and another child were with him at the time, riding in the backseat.

As a result, his May 7th arraignment in California Superior Court could include at least two counts of risk of injury to a minor or other child endangerment charges along with a DUI charge. If that is the case, the door opens further for Locklear to pursue new legal action in the Family Court. If that happens, this once amicable co-parenting arrangement will turn ugly.

Depending on the nature and quantity of all the charges leveled (in addition to the fact of the arrest itself), Locklear will have new grounds to seek a modification of previously existing custody orders. And she can use Sambora’s alleged lack of sobriety against him. (Sambora has admitted to past alcohol abuse.)

Sambora and Lockwood have been apart since 2006. Currently, the ex-couple share joint custody, giving them equal decision-making power, but Locklear has physical custody. Ava lives with her mother and Sambora has visitation rights. The actress is in a strong position to argue that her ex-husband’s conduct is too risky or that he is too unstable to spend time with their child unsupervised.

But Sambora has a custody card in his pocket too. He could counterpunch based on Locklear’s recent alleged mental health scare two weeks prior to his own incident with police. A doctor called 911 to Locklear’s house after reporting the actress was possibly suicidal. Locklear denied any problems. But if she does exhibit any signs of significant instability that affect her parenting abilities, Sambora can raise those issues in court in a bid to influence custody issues.

We’ve all witnessed just how destructive a Hollywood custody battle can get– Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards come most immediately to mind. Let’s hope these two work out their personal problems and keep up the civilized relationship as co-parents. Their daughter has been through enough this year.

Multiples in Marriage

19 Mar

Filed Under Britney Spears, Paul McCartney, Eliot Spitzer, Sean Combs | Leave a Comment

One cheating New York Governor is replaced with another. A neighboring governor enjoyed threesomes. Sir Paul surrenders $48.6 Million for his freedom and we get a glimpse of what he was dealing from the judge. Kevin gets from the Pop Queen what Heather couldn’t get from Rock n’ Roll Knight– free lawyers.
Avoiding marriage doesn’t spare one trouble. P. Diddy’s gangster past may catch up with him in attack on rival.

Heather Mills

February Freedoms

01 Mar

Filed Under Wesley Snipes, Anthony Pellicano | Leave a Comment

Wesley Snipes found not guilty of fraud, conspiracy and three other counts of not filing a tax return, but found guilty of three misdemeanor charges of not filing tax returns for which he faces up to three years in prison.
Police investigation of drugging claims may provide Britney with excuse for her bad behavior.
The trial of private investigator Anthony Pellicano is set to call a star-studded list of witnesses including Sylvester Stallone, Keith Carradine, Garry Shandling, Chris Rock, Ron Meyer, Michael Ovitz, Brad Grey, and Mark Burnett.

The ‘Lady’ Hits a Divorce Court Jackpot

26 Feb

Filed Under Paul McCartney, Divorce | Leave a Comment

A four year marriage and a predicted $108 million settlement. That’s what Heather Mills, aka Lady McCartney, is expected to walk away with after a week in divorce court. Only in Britain can a failed marriage to a billionare lead to such a large jackpot in such a short amount of time.

In my divorce guidebook for women, He Had It Coming: How to Outsmart Your Husband and Win Your Divorce, I warn all short-term brides to be realisitic — don’t expect to cash in on your failed marriage if you haven’t been in the game long enough to aquire joint marital assets. But apparently in England, the courts have a different take on marriage and money. Between $5 million dollars a year in child support until their daughter is 18 (Heather andf Paul share a daughter, 4-year-old Beatrice) and the rest made up in settlement money, Heather’s jJob” as Mrs. Paul McCartney will likely have netted her approximately $27 million a year.

For a wife who handled her divorce completely wrong, Heather will nonetheless clean up in divorce court. British courts are known to dole out extremely generous divorce settlements. But I am convinced that a short-term marriage McCartney-like divorce settlement never would have happened here in America. Stateside, our courts rely on the principles of equity and fairness to divide assets, examining an array of factors such as the earning capacity of the spouses, contributions to the marriage, and the value of assets. So if you are in the midst of divorce or contemplating ending your marriage, don’t look to Heather Mills as an example of how to behave in divorce court. Her success occurred only because she is lucky enough to live under the Queen’s rule.

By Stacy Schneider

Weekly Arraignment

25 Jan

Filed Under Political Justice, Don Imus, Drug Possession, Britney Spears, Balco Case, Heath Ledger, Hip Hop Artists | Leave a Comment

Britney accused of selling baby pictures to papparazzi, but Denise Richards has a green light to star Charlie Sheen’s daughters on reality TV.
Barry Bonds seeks to trim five count indictment (four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice), claiming prosecutor’s questions were harder to follow than a Roger Clemens curve ball.
Don Imus sued by advertiser for tasteless Gerry Ford quip and Jessica Simpson is not OK with OK!, but Perez Hilton can say whatever he wants.
Rapper Lil’ Wayne arrested for hauling cocaine and ecstasy across the border while Busta Rhymes pleads guilty to four assault and DUI charges.
Heath Ledger’s $20 bill was not a blow stick, his sleeping pills and psych meds were all prescribed– some in Europe, and no faul play likely associated with the four calls placed to Mary-Kate nine minutes before first call to 911 but masseuse Diane Lee Wol may face felony charges for practicing without a license and Mary-Kate still needs to talk with police.
City mayors need to be careful who and what they text message.

« go back — keep looking »