newsmakers

newsmakers

Temporary guardian for Jackson children

LOS ANGELES

A judge has appointed Tito Jackson’s son as a temporary guardian of Michael Jackson’s children.

The judge temporarily suspended Katherine Jackson as the children’s guardian because she is in Arizona and hadn’t spoken with them in several days.

TJ Jackson appeared in court Wednesday and sought the temporary appointment, but his attorney said he wasn’t trying to replace Katherine Jackson permanently.

TJ Jackson says he spoke with Katherine Jackson on Tuesday, but she sounded strange. He says she was using words he’s never heard her use and her voice at times sounded slurred.

The appointment comes after days of turmoil among the Jackson family, with a relative reporting Katherine Jackson missing before she was located safely with other family members in Arizona.

Bieber paparazzo faces criminal charges

LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a paparazzo photographer for reportedly racing across a Los Angeles freeway in an effort to get photographs of Justin Bieber.

The case marks the first use of a 2010 state law designed to prevent paparazzi from dangerously pursuing celebrities for photos.

The City Attorney’s office said Wednesday that 30-year-old Paul Raef faces four charges, including reckless driving with the intent to capture pictures for commercial gain, following another vehicle too closely and reckless driving.

The charges stem from a July 6 incident in which Bieber was stopped by police on a Los Angeles area freeway for driving in excess of 80 miles an hour.

‘Sister Wives’ family challenges bigamy law

SALT LAKE CITY

Kody Brown and his four wives want what any family wants: to live in the privacy of their own home free from government intrusion.

The polygamous stars of the TLC show “Sister Wives” have sued Utah and the county they fled from, hoping to persuade a federal judge to overturn the state’s bigamy law as unconstitutional.

The judge heard arguments Wednesday on a motion to dismiss the case. He will rule later.

The case potentially could decriminalize a way of life for tens of thousands of Mormon fundamentalists, most of whom live in Utah where bigamy is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Woman pleads guilty to ‘19 Kids’ extortion

IOWA CITY, Iowa

An Iowa woman has pleaded guilty to attempting to extort the parent company of cable network TLC by threatening to reveal a purported affair involving a cast member of the popular reality show “19 Kids and Counting.”

Teresa Hunt entered a guilty plea Wednesday to one count of extortion during a hearing in federal court in Davenport. Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 9.

Vindicator wire services