Showing posts with label Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertainment. Show all posts

Reports: Rolling Stones guitarist Wood ties knot

Two British newspapers say Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has married his fiancee Sally Humphreys at a ceremony at London's Dorchester Hotel. The Sun and the Daily Mirror carried photographs of the 65-year-old rocker with a pale boutonniere and a dark blue suit, and his 34-year-old bride in a traditional white gown and a clutch of matching white flowers. The Sun quoted Wood as saying "I'm feeling great" as he and his bride kissed and posed for pictures outside the exclusive hotel in London's upscale Mayfair district. The newspapers said the guests included singer Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster as well as ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell. A call and an email to Wood's U.S.-based agent weren't immediately returned Saturday.
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Buju Banton awaits ruling in mistrial request

A Florida juror who voted to convict Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton on drug charges has denied improperly researching the case during trial, in spite of a weekly newspaper's report that quoted her as saying that she did. Banton is serving a 10-year prison sentence on two drug charges. The Grammy winner faces an additional five years on a related gun possession charge, but his resentencing hearing was postponed to investigate the report of juror misconduct. Banton's attorneys have filed a motion in Tampa federal court seeking a new trial. If granted, it would be the second mistrial for Banton, whose first trial in 2010 ended with jurors deadlocked. He was convicted in 2011 in his second trial. U.S. District Judge James Moody reserved decision Thursday on the defense motion. Jurors were told during trial not to do any independent research into the case. Terri Wright, a juror from Banton's 2011 trial, was quoted in a Miami New Times report as saying that she researched parts of the case, in spite of the judge's orders not to. "I would get in the car, just write my notes down so I could remember, and I would come home and do the research," Wright was quoted as saying. New Times reporter Chris Sweeney testified Thursday that he interviewed several jurors. The Tampa Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/RLgxXO) that Sweeney provided the court with a recording of his interview with Wright. Wright testified that she sent Sweeney a text message after seeing his story, saying there had been "a huge misunderstanding with (Sweeney's) questions." Wright's text message also read, "I did not violate the judge's instructions with this case. I did my research AFTER the case was over and the verdict was given, NOT during the case. . I trusted you and now feel totally betrayed." Wright testified that she only researched Banton's music and the federal Pinkerton rule, which involves liability among conspirators for the actions of other conspirators. There was no proof that Banton possessed a gun or was aware that a co-defendant did, but because of the Pinkerton rule, Banton was convicted of a weapons offense. Moody tossed the gun charge, but an appeals court reversed that decision. Moody called a sampling of three other jurors to ask if they remembered hearing other jury members talk about doing outside research. Two testified that had not heard anything, but one said she recalled a white woman juror saying she had researched the Pinkerton law. Wright is black. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Preston said Banton's defense had not met the legal requirement for a mistrial by showing that the jury was exposed to outside evidence that posed a reasonable possibility of prejudice to the defendant. Defense lawyer Chokwe Lumumba said jurors were ready to acquit Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, before Wright shared her research.
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Reggae's Buju Banton awaits ruling on mistrial

A Florida juror who voted to convict Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton on drug charges has denied improperly researching the case during trial, despite a weekly newspaper's report that quoted her as saying that she did. Banton is serving a 10-year prison sentence for his convictions on cocaine conspiracy and trafficking charges stemming from a 2009 arrest. The Grammy winner faces an additional five years for his conviction on a related gun possession charge, but his resentencing hearing was postponed to investigate the report of juror misconduct. Banton's attorneys have filed a motion in Tampa federal court seeking a new trial. If granted, it would be the second mistrial for Banton, whose first trial in 2010 ended with jurors deadlocked. He was convicted in 2011 in his second trial. U.S. District Judge James Moody reserved judgment Thursday on the defense motion. Jurors were told during the trial not to do any independent research into the case. Terri Wright, a juror from Banton's 2011 trial, was quoted in a Miami New Times report as saying that she researched parts of the case even though the judge had ordered jurors not to. "I would get in the car, just write my notes down so I could remember, and I would come home and do the research," Wright was quoted as saying. New Times reporter Chris Sweeney testified Thursday that he interviewed several jurors. Sweeney also provided the court with a recording of his interview with Wright. Wright testified that she sent Sweeney a text message after seeing his story, saying there had been "a huge misunderstanding with (Sweeney's) questions." Wright's text message also read, "I did not violate the judge's instructions with this case. I did my research AFTER the case was over and the verdict was given, NOT during the case. . I trusted you and now feel totally betrayed." Wright testified that she only researched Banton's music and the federal Pinkerton rule, which involves liability among conspirators for the actions of other conspirators. There was no proof that Banton possessed a gun or was aware that a co-defendant did, but because of the Pinkerton rule, Banton was convicted of a weapons offense. Moody tossed the gun charge, but an appeals court reversed that decision. Wright said she told Sweeney that she had been a juror seven times before serving on Banton's case, but she did not volunteer that information to prosecutors or Banton's attorneys "because that wasn't a question" during jury selection. Moody called a sampling of three other jurors to ask if they remembered hearing other jury members talk about doing outside research. Two testified that had not heard anything, but one said she recalled a white female juror saying she had researched the Pinkerton law. Wright is black. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Preston said Banton's defense had not met the legal requirement for a mistrial by showing that the jury was exposed to outside evidence that posed a reasonable possibility of prejudice to the defendant. Defense lawyer Chokwe Lumumba said jurors were ready to acquit Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, before Wright shared her research.
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Swedish princess to marry next June

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden's royal family says Princess Madeleine's wedding will take place on Saturday, June 8, at the Royal Palace chapel in downtown Stockholm. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia's youngest daughter was engaged to U.S.-British boyfriend Christopher O'Neill, a 38-year-old New York banker, in late October. The 30-year-old Madeleine is fourth in line to the Swedish throne. The royal family's chief spokesman Bertil Tenert said Sunday that wedding organizers will now start planning details of the nuptials. He added that Madeleine's wedding will be smaller than Crown Princess Victoria's wedding two years ago in Stockholm. The Swedish royal family has only ceremonial duties, such as supporting charities and promoting Swedish businesses.
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Rihanna donates $1.75 million to Barbados hospital

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) — Pop star Rihanna has given $1.75 million to a hospital in her Caribbean homeland of Barbados in memory of her late grandmother. Rihanna says the donation to buy three pieces of medical equipment was her way "giving back to Barbados." She made the comments during a Saturday ceremony with relatives at the island's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The hospital's radiotherapy unit has been renamed the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine after Rihanna's grandmother, who died in June. Rihanna recently released "Unapologetic," her seventh album in seven years.
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