Lindsay Lohan...pleads "No Contest" Blinded by the Bling! Jail time!

Lindsay Lohan has done an about-face and elected to pass on a long drawn-out trial on a charge of allegedly making off with a five-finger discount at a trendy retail outlet situated in picturesque Venice Beach (CA).

Earlier today, legal counsel appeared on her behalf at a Los Angeles courthouse to enter a surprise plea of “no contest”.

A sruprise because up-until-now, Ms. Lohan's handlers were adamant that she was inncoent, and that the "Mean Girls" star intended to have her day (well, another one, at least) in court.

The term is a fancy one – which usually masks the guilt surrounding an alleged crime – to allow a reluctant defendant to bow out gracefully.

When you factor in - Judicial Economy - it may have been a wise move on the part of her legal counsel in the final analysis.

The defendant is still considered convicted for all intents and purposes, but the plea may be challenged during an appeals process, if the defendant so desires.

A cynical few take the view that a defendant has not necessarily asserted his or her innocence - or admitted guilt - when they elect to plead "no contest".

In sum, the court is being given the nod to proceed with the disposition of the case.

On occasion, accused individuals plead no contest - because legal counsel has advised that in view of the facts and evidence on record - that the charges against the individual may be difficult to beat in an actual court-of-law.

In Lindsay Lohan’s case there is allegedly video footage of the troubled actress waltzing out of the retail store without paying for the merchandise.

Extenuating circumstances may have allowed for some wiggle room, especially with a competent attorney at the helm.

For example – Ms. Lohan’s team were within their rights to argue that the jewellery was on loan (or in the alternative argued that Ms. Lindsay simply tried on the piece of bling and forgot to return it to the clerk).

The fact her handlers returned the item once the incident was reported to the police - appeared to seal her fate in the eyes of the law, fans, and the public-at-large though - who were not easily hoodwinked.

Ms. Lindsay would have been better off arguing that she was a kleptomaniac – who needed therapy and counseling – and not hard time in the local slammer.

In response to the no contest plea, Ms. Lohan was sentenced to four months in jail.

In addition, the astute bench warmer ordered that the talented – but drug-addled actress – perform 480 hours of community service as well.

Lohan, was not required to appear in court today, but must report to jail on or before June 17th to fulfill her obligation to society.

However, at press time, insiders noted that Ms. Lohan may be eligible for house arrest which would require an electronic monitoring device on her person 24/7 to ensure the terms of the agreement are met.

Lohan was also ordered to complete much-needed therapy and is required to enroll in an anti-shoplifting program as well.
With this sorry chapter of her life closing in the near future, hopefully Ms. Lohan can get back to business as usual.

For instance, last month, Lohan landed her first feature film part since the whole fiasco began many moons ago, and is expected to go forward and co-star with John Travolta and Al Pacino.

The project is a film bio on John Gotti and the mob.
News at 11!

http://www.thetattler.biz

Lindsay Lohan...court documents sealed! Wheels of Justice turn slowly!



Lindsay Lohan trotted into court bright-and-early this morning to face the music, but - if anything - ended up participating in a hearing that amounted to little more than a brief intro of bigger things to come.

In fact, judging by the proceedings that took place in a Los Angeles courtroom today - and in view of all the ifs, ands or buts - it is fairly obvious at this juncture that the court-room drama is not going to be an open-and-shut case for either side.

For example, at one point, Lohan's attorney quizzed the Judge about one issue when she appeared to be perplexed by a ruling.

"Your honor, you said my motion was partly denied. Does that mean that it was partly granted?"

"Yes," the seasoned bench-warmer responded in the affirmative without hesitation.

Then, the hearing got curiouser and curiouser.

A court date was set for March 25th, for instance, but - whether the parties show up or not - depends on Lindsay's decision to accept or reject a plea offer.

Uh-huh!

Armchair viewers at home - without a law degree under the belt - may have trouble fathoming the particulars on television (unless they're fans of "Law & Order" or "Perry Mason").

Then, the Judge expressed his frustration over leaks in the legal proceedings - that have been baffling Los Angeles Superior Court officials in recent weeks - and running interference with his directives.

To help combat the dilemma, His Honor requested that Lohan's attorney submit all documentary evidence and legal briefs under seal - "for his eyes only"- in the future.

Golly, the details surrounding this felony charge are turning out to be intriguing top-secret-stuff!

Bottom line, it was gut-wrenching for folks seeking closure for Lindsay Lohan.

An outcome appears to be far off on the horizon down a long-and-winding bumpy road!

Stay posted for updates @ the Tattler!

http://www.thetattler.biz



Fashion choices for Court criticized!

Lindsay Lohan...to be charged in theft of pricey necklace! Arraignment tomorrow February 9th!

The allegations have been brewing for the past couple of weeks.

Eye-witnesses swear that they spied actress Lindsay Lohan adorned at-the-neck with a one-a-kind necklace - valued at $2500 - which mysteriously vanished from a jewellery store she frequented.

Shortly after TMZ and other news outlets hinted about the potential ten-finger-discount - an individual close to Lohan - apparently turned the sparkler over to authorites.

After a brief investigation of the facts, sources closes to the drama unfolding around the troubled starlet disclosed today, that a single count of felony grand theft will be filed at Airport Court in Los Angeles tomorrow morning (Wednesday)

The "Mean Girls" star is expected to be arraigned at 1:30 PM.

Apparently, it is mandatory that Ms. Lohan appear at the courthouse tomorrow.

If convicted, she could be sent to California State prison for a lengthy prison term.

News at 11!

Mean Girls love finer things in life!

(even if they can't afford them)

http://www.thetattler.biz/

Bank of the West...excessive feesl Rude insulting staff! Consumers in need ripped-off...

In recent months, the banks have belly-ached about being in financial straits, selfishly grabbed for hand-outs from the Government at the expense of the American tax-payer, then continued on their merry way with their excessive perks, disheartening disregard for financially-strapped account-holders, and shameless bold-faced ploys (which amount to embezzlement of funds) to pad their profit-margins by bilking millions of consumers out of their cold hard cash by virtue of excessive bank fees that border on the criminal.

"Bank of the West" is the worst offender when it comes to this kind of highway robbery!

The Bank (with no heart to speak of) is a greedy corporate giant manned by staff who are not only rude and insulting but totally devoid of any compassion or understanding.

In fact, their reprehensible conduct should never be tolerated in a civilized society.

For example, when a customer strode into a local branch to sort out excessive bank charges, the manager not only failed to lend a sympathetic ear to the account-holder (who had never questioned their fee structures in the past) but proceeded to talk down to the upset individual.

"You need to take responsibility for your finances and monitor your accounts regularly on the checking line," he pompously lashed out at the account-holder who sat there in total disbelief.

Rather than work with their client - whose financial obligations had always been met over the course of the past year when most struggled to do the same - the manager was inclined to smugly insult the client rather than budge a little and work in a cooperative spirit in respect to sorting out the excessive surcharges which were dinged on the account.

At one point, when the individual noted they intended to file a complaint with the President of the Bank, the manager relented a little and agreed to give a $35.00 credit back, but was adamant that he would not comply with the request to credit back two $35.00 fees (totalling $70.00).

When the miffed client noted he intended to file a complaint with the White House and request an investigation of excessive fees at Bank of the West, the manager tried to coerce the customer into foregoing on filing the complaint by subtly inferring he'd retaliate.

For instance, at this juncture, he pointedly asked (with a slightly-raised eyebrow) if the account-holder  wanted the $35.00 credit offered or not.

Since he had already promised the credit twice during the course of the ongoing conversation, clearly, he was subtly inferring that if the customer filed the complaint (as promised) he would not issue the $35.00 credit.

What low disgusting unprofessional conduct!

It was obvious to me, as I witnessed the events, that the Bank employee was a real snake!

When that attempt at coercion failed, he snottily responded from out of left field.

"The White House is already investigating bank fees."

So, there!

Talk about petty.

By the way, in addition to the illegal $35.00 fees imposed on the account, the bank began to charge the customer a $5.00 fee for an overdraft which occurred due to the charges they billed the account without legal notice or fair warning.

Is there no end to their larceny?

The Bank Manager's conduct persisted after that.

At the request of the account-holder, he scribbled down his name - but did so in an illegible script - so that it was difficult to determine the exact spelling of his last name.

In addition, he refused to locate the name and address of the President of Bank of the West.

Does this sound like the kind of conduct that an up-front bank employee engages in?

I think not!

Clearly, Mr. Howerton (?) at the Beverly Hills branch (9401 Wilshire) was keenly aware that his unprofessional mean-spirited conduct was highly irregular and inappropriate.

Subsequently, he was trying to hide his identity to avoid recrimination from his superiors (and prevent his true legal name from being posted on the Internet in this consumer alert).

In closing, it should also be noted that Bank of the West also engages in other deceptive and dishonest business behaviour.

On the customer service hotline, operators often promise credits to customers, which fail to materialzie in their actual bank account.

In retrospect, it's obvious that the promise is just a clever ploy to get disgruntled customers off the line, so they can move on to the next unhappy customer waiting with similar complaints of embezzelement, unethical banking procedures, violtations of the rights of bank customers, and so forth and so on.

At a time when Banks are failing, and their integrity is placed in doubt, Bank of the West is obviously one financial institution that should be avoided like the plague (even if they do entice you with a cheap teddy bear purchased at the 99 cent store to open an account).

After all, they'll simply raid the account (embezzle funds) until the customer gets fed up and closes the account in disgust.

Bank of the West, is more aptly titled, Bank of the Worst.

Those slimy worms at the Beverly Hills branch can take credit for the appropriate moniker folks!

Bank of West rip-offs U.S. account-holders!

http://www.julianayrs.com

Footnote

*Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BancWest Corporation

*BancWest is wholly owned by the French Universal Bank

*Yes, folks, the Frenchies are sticking it to the Yankees!

Kitsilano Storage Vancouver (B.C.) rips off clients! Empathy for Paris Hilton...

When the news flash reported that Paris Hilton was the victim of a jewellery theft a few weeks ago, many felt little sorrow for the pretty young heiress.

"She can afford it," a handful of cynics stated matter-of-fact without batting an eyelash.

Others quipped the obvious.

"She probably has insurance to cover the loss."

Even still, it is a hurtful experience to be a "victim" of a crime like that.

In this instant case, the heist may have been an inside job, for example.

Imagine that, friends and confidants - employees perhaps - at-the-ready to rip her off.

That's when a thief's rationale comes into play.

"She's careless with her possessions. Flits about. Flaunts her wealth and makes a vulgar display of it while the less fortunate are starving in the world. She deserves it."

Nonetheless, even the filthy rich occasionally have a possession or two that has sentimental value that it hurts to lose on such a nasty unpredictable occasion.

Frankly, I empathized with her.

Last year, employees at Kitsilano Storage in Vancouver (B.C.) seized an opportunity to steal a number of my personal possessions - antiques, personal papers, and clothing - for example.

Although my Buddhist teachings taught me not to "cling" to possessions and to rid myself of burning desires to obtain inanimate objects of monetary value, the theft stung because a couple of the items were of great personal value to me.

My father's violin, for instance, with a hand-painted portrait of his girlfriend (a pretty babe he dated before he met my Mother) was priceless to me.

And, certainly cannot be replaced by any stretch of the imagination.

Personal notes from screen legends Mary Martin & Elizabeth Taylor - which I cherished for years - were lifted also.

Vanished into thin air!

A whole series of paintings I framed in anticipation of a one-man exhibition were also stolen.

Sadly, few of the original pieces were signed or properly identified, so it is doubtful they'll ever be returned to me.

Bottom line, it shocks the sensibilities that employees at Kitsilano Storage (York Street location) would have the audacity to break the trust I placed in them by virtue of our client/business relationship - and ultimately - heartlessly make off with the few possessions in the world that I worked hard to accumulate over the years.

It's in God's hands now as I attempt to heal.

In closing, I part with a few insightful thoughts from Balthazar Gerbier, who once opined:

"Too many stairs and back doors make thieves and whores."

http://www.julianayrs.com

Las Vegas...Binions Casino employee makes long distance calls while guests out of room! Warning to tourists...

Gosh, I was quite shocked when I checked out of Binions Casino yesterday at noon, and was informed that there was a long-distance telephone charge in the amount of $2.15 to settle up with management.

No, the paltry sum didn't bother me, at all.

The truth?

I didn't make the telephone call!

"I was up on the roof-deck catching some sun on Thursday," I informed the cashier at the front desk.

When I left my suite and headed upstairs to the pool, I spied the Maid's trolley in the hallway a few feet from my door.

Two hours later, when I returned, she was nowhere in sight.

I surmise that the housekeeper made the telephone call expecting that I would not notice the charge.

Wrong!

I never made any calls from my Hotel room the entire week I was ensconced at Binions, so the telephone bill invariably stood out like a sore thumb!

If it wasn't the maid, then the ramifications are more serious, wouldn't you agree?

Another Hotel employee must be accessing guest rooms at whim to make unauthorized long distance calls - and just maybe - scanning suites for valuables while unsuspecting guests are out gambling, catching some rays like moi, or what-have-you.

The Hotel staff didn't seem to be particularly alarmed when I assured them I never made the telephone call.

So, I am inclined to wonder, does this kind of nefarious activity go down regularly at Binions Casino unchecked?

Personally, in view of Binions' blase attitude about it all, I've decided file a complaint with the Las Vegas Police Department.

In my estimation, until that employee is caught (and punished within the full extent of the law) other guests at the Hotel will continue to be at risk.

To be safe, don't leave items of value in your suite unattended.

And, check each charge on any bill that Binions presents to you at check-out.

Something tells me, you'll be glad you did.

http://www.julianayrs.com

Rite-Aid...711. 'Tis the season to be wary! Count your change...

One morning I popped into Rite Aid at their location at Long Beach and Willow to pick up a copy of the daily paper.

If the LA TIMES isn't purchased from a box on the street, retailers charge 4 cents above and beyond the regular price of fifty cents.

I handed the cashier at the counter $5.04 to make the computation simple.

Imagine my surprise when the tall lumbering fellow handed me back $3.50 - yes - my change was a buck short.

Did he miscount the change - I mean - was it an innocent mistake?

Or was the shortfall intentional?

In view of fact he neglected to give me a receipt, I was forced to consider the worst: the employee was skimming cash off the top from unsuspecting customers.

Yes, 'tis the season to take advantage of a shopper's good spirits!

There are other scams going down, too, during the festive season.

On many occasions, I've witnessed a cashier at a liquor convenience store tabulate the purchases without running them through a register and or providing a receipt.

When a shopper asked for a precise tabulation of the purchase, I noticed that when the groceries were re-added, the total generally fluctuated by various sums and always to the buyer's advantage!

Yup, unscrupulous store owners try to overcharge the customer - and claim "innocent mistake" - when caught.
In addition, there appears to be some ongoing dishonesty with regard to products without price tags affixed.

At stores I patronize regularly, I have noticed there is a tendency for part-time staff to overcharge on unmarked items.

It may seem petty to some to quibble over such matters, but personally, I don't like being ripped off.

Besides, it's the principle of the thing.

There's also some sleight of hand going down too, which recently came to my attention, as well.

For instance, in the old days a cashier would count out your change to the penny in your hand.

Today, the coins are dropped quickly into the consumer's hand, leaving it up to the individual to check for accuracy.

I guess it's human nature.

Many customers don't count the change in front of the store employee for fear of inferring they don't trust the cashier or giving off the impression they are cheap.

Bad idea!

Each time I made a point of checking my change in recent weeks, I noticed an alarming on-going trend.

When I counted the coins in my sweaty hand, I was usually short-changed anywhere from twenty-five cents to a dollar. Small change?

Not when you consider the fact that coins are palmed throughout the day to dozens of customers. It all adds up, don't you think?

Caution should be extended to public transportation, too; after all, pick-pockets have been known to take advantage of the jostling bumping crowds during the holiday season to slip into pockets unnoticed and steal wallets.

Quick crafty scoundrels are are stealthy and skilled enough to slip a watch right off an unsuspecting traveller's wrist.

Yes, 'tis the season to be wary!

Oh, by the way, Happy Holidays!