Judge rules in favor of B.I.G.’s family

Judge rules in favor of B.I.G.’s family

LOS ANGELES — A judge has reinstated a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G., reversing an earlier decision to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper threw out the lawsuit March 21 after determining the family missed a state deadline for bringing a claim against the city and two former police officers.

The lawsuit was originally filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, then moved to federal court.

The family appealed, and the judge reversed her decision after finding federal claims in the case can proceed, according to court papers obtained Thursday. Cooper gave the family 20 days to file a new lawsuit and drop the state claims.

B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was gunned down March 9, 1997, while leaving a party at a Los Angeles museum. The 24-year-old performer’s killing remains unsolved.

Two wrongful death lawsuits were filed against the city on behalf of the rapper’s widow, mother and two children.

The first lawsuit, filed in 2002, alleges wrongful death and civil rights violations. It ended in a mistrial in 2005. The case remains active, with the judge allowing the family to amend the lawsuit because of newly discovered evidence.

Cooper’s recent ruling involved the secondary lawsuit, which contends that rogue police officers conspired to kill Wallace and that the Police Department covered up their involvement.

DMX faces drug, animal cruelty charges

PHOENIX — Authorities say DMX has been arrested on drug and animal-cruelty charges in Phoenix after an overnight raid on the rapper’s house.

The Maricopa County sheriff’s office says the 37-year-old, whose real name is Earl Simmons, at first tried to barricade himself in his bedroom. He came out as a SWAT team entered during the early-morning raid Friday.

The indictment stems from an August search of the rapper’s home prompted by reports of dogs being abused on his property.

His attorney, Murray Richman, says he told his client to expect such a raid after his efforts to make DMX available to law enforcement were rebuffed. Richman says the animal cruelty charges are not supported by the evidence.

DMX was also arrested Tuesday after speed-enforcement cameras captured him going 114 mph on a suburban Phoenix freeway.

Rapper pleads guilty to menacing neighbor

NEW YORK — Rapper Foxy Brown has pleaded guilty to menacing a neighbor with her cell phone last year. She avoided jail based on time already served. Brown and neighbor Arlene Raymond got into a fight last July over Brown blasting her car stereo outside their Brooklyn apartment building.

As part of the plea deal, the 28-year-old rapper wrote a letter apologizing to Raymond. Brown presented the letter to Justice John Walsh in a Brooklyn court on Thursday. The judge extended Raymond’s order of protection.

Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, spent seven months in jail for a Manhattan case involving a fight she had with manicurists in a nail salon. She was released last month.

Today’s birthdays

Sports announcer Pat Summerall is 78. Singer Henry Fambrough of The Spinners is 70. Announcer Gary Owens (“Laugh-In”) is 69. Singer Donovan is 62. Singer Dave Mason is 62. Singer Bono of U2 is 48. Model Linda Evangelista is 43. Rapper Young MC is 41. Actor Erik Palladino (“ER”) is 40. Actor Kenan Thompson (“Kenan and Kel”) is 30.