#WestMemphis3 Plead GUILTY To Child Murder But Set Free After 18 Years

A lot of people are talking about the 3 men walk that just walked free today after serving 18 years in prison for a crime they claim they did NOT commit.



The West Memphis Three -- comprised of Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin -- were found guilty of killing 3 boy scouts in 1993. Misskelley and Baldwin were sentenced to life in prison. Echols was sentenced to death.



Even though the men have maintained their innocence for years ... today they plead GUILTY to the murders of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore and Stevie Branch....and then were set free!



In order to be released from prison, the men accepted a bargain known as an "Alford Plea" -- a "guilty" plea where the defendants still assert their innocence, despite evidence to the contrary.



The judge had a chambers meeting with each of the defendants ... and while each of the three men is still legally guilty of the crimes, the judge explained,

"in the interest of justice, they will go free."

The statement continues,

"Since the original convictions, two of the victims' families have joined forces with the defense, publicly proclaiming the innocence of the defendants. The mother of a witness who testified about Echols's confession has publicly questioned her daughter's truthfulness, and the State Crime Lab employee who collected fiber evidence at the Echols and Baldwin homes after their arrests has died.



In light of these circumstances I decided to entertain plea offers that were being proposed by the defense. I NEVER considered ANY arrangement that would negate the verdicts of those two juries. Guilt or Innocence was NEVER ON THE TABLE.



Today’s proceeding allows the defendants the freedom of speech to SAY they are innocent, but the FACT is, they just pled GUILTY.



I strongly believe that the interests of justice have been served today."

The statement continues,

"On behalf of the State I have preserved the verdicts of those juries and averted more prolonged and costly trials and appeals in this case.



The legal tangle that has become known as the West Memphis Three case is finished.



I have spoken with members of the victims’ families and I can tell you they are still suffering the loss of their little boys. Neither this nor any other proceeding can bring those children back.



As part of the plea and sentence negotiation the defendants were sentenced to a period of 18 years with credit for time served. Those sentences will be followed by 10 years SIS or Suspended Imposition of Sentence.



These defendants have spent roughly half of their lives in prison. I pray that during this time they have been rehabilitated.



The defendants are now at liberty and will remain at liberty so long as they do not violate the terms and conditions of the Suspended Imposition of Sentence agreement. ANY violation of these terms WILL RESULT in an additional 21 years of prison."

The West Memphis Three set the record straight today at their press conference.... claiming they served 18 years for a crime they "did not commit." BUT according to reports, the men CAN NOT sue over their incarceration.



So in a nut shell these men just plead GUILTY and were almost on death row but now they are free...You may be as confused as we are here but as of right now these men have walked and according to reports, right into the DMV to get their licenses.

Casey Anthony Released From Jail w/ Snipers & All! - Raw Video!

Casey Anthony was released from Orange County Jail in Orlando, FL Saturday at midnight!

Casey walked out of jail shortly after midnight ET on Sunday, accompanied by two sheriff's deputies and her attorney, Jose Baez....and complete with snipers waiting to stop anyone looking to harm Casey.




She was behind bars for nearly three years and was acquitted on July 5 in the murder of her daughter Caylee.

Anthony was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer. She was sentenced to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count.

She was released with time served.

There was over 500 people outside of the jail waiting for Casey to be released...



You can hear people screaming at the top of their lungs when she walked out the front door of the jail...

Click here!


Watch more raw video here...








MORE ON CASEY ANTHONY:

Casey Anthony Juror Foreman Breaks Silence! (VIDEO)

Casey Anthony Juror #3 Speaks!! "I did not say she was innocent" UPDATED w/ VIDEO!

Get To Know The Jurors In The Casey Anthony Trial

Casey Anthony's Former Fiance` Speaks Out -- Goes Off At Jose Baez & Casey! (VIDEO)

Jose Baez & Casey Anthony Defense Team Celebrate At Bar Outside Courthouse So Everyone Can See! Deserved or Tasteless?

No Justice For Baby Caylee --- Mom, Casey Anthony Found NOT Guilty!!!

Days Away From Verdict In Casey Anthony Trial --- Mom Lies On Stand!

BOMBSHELL: Casey Anthony Blames Dad For Daughter's Murder! Watch The Full Trial Opening Statements

Murderer Of Notorious B.I.G Found?

What a day! First Casey Anthony is found NOT guilty for the murder of her 2yr old daughter and now the real murderer of Notorious B.I.G has come forward?!

Well, the murderer himself may not have come forward....but the man featured on the photo above claims the murderer himself confessed to him he killed Biggie. Chicago inmate Clayton Hill is now alleging that it was fellow Nation of Islam member Dawud Mahammad who ended the rapper’s life in 1997, while acting as a hit man.

“[Dawoud Muhammad] stated to me that he was on the run for the murder [of The Notorious B.I.G.],”

Hill said

“He disclosed that he was the shooter of The Notorious B.I.G. because he (Dawoud) was a former Blood gang member and was paid to do so.”

Hill’s claims paint an elaborate plot involving the Nation of Islam, aliases and transporting the murder weapon across statelines.

In his forthcoming e-book, Diary of an Ex-Terrorist, Clayton quotes Dawoud bragging to him of that payment, “And I made twenty-five ‘g’s’ off that.”

What...this guy has a book coming out?

Yup and he says,

“I have looked at the pics in the mag...although I cannot say conclusively and with absolute certainty because that was 14 years ago, Amir Muhammad looks like the person who used the name Dawoud.”

Clayton Hill did not receive a sentence reduction for his revelations regarding the cover-up of the murder of The Notorious B.I.G.

#1 because Clayton’s criminal history would preclude his usefulness under cross-examination in any future trials, making Hill an ineffective witness for the government.

And #2 because Clayton’s inability to definitively identify the man he knew as Dawoud likely further frustrated the government and led to a lack of credit for his revelations.

“I reviewed pics with the F.B.I. and could not conclusively identify the person they showed me,”

Clayton explained.

“But the face did look familiar. It has been 14 years.”

Hill’s e-book containing all of the aforementioned allegations and more, Diary of an Ex-Terrorist, is due for release July 15th via Clayton’s own Bella Media Group.


Earlier this year the LAPD began investigating new evidence which “reinvigorated” Biggie Smalls’ unsolved murder case.

This also comes just months after Lil' Kim told our very own, Lady T, who she thought was involved in the murder of both Biggie AND Tupac.


And this guy chose the same day, just hours after, the nation got the shocking news that Casey Anthony was found Not Guilty....it may be his 15 minutes of fame, but if the story is true...after all these years, have we officially found Big's murderer?



RELATED LINKS:

No Justice For Baby Caylee --- Mom, Casey Anthony Found NOT Guilty!!!

Lil' Kim Speaks On Who Killed Biggie & Tupac

Lindsay Lohan Spends More Time In Slammer!

On Friday, the actress was sentenced to 120 days behind bars for violating probation by allegedly stealing a necklace.

After spending a grand total of five hours behind bars, Lindsay Lohan posted $75,000 bail and was released from police custody Friday night in Los Angeles. She had been sentenced to 120 days behind bars for violating probation by allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace from a boutique in Venice, Calif.

Lohan's attorney appealed the sentence Friday.

The theft case had been reduced from grand theft to a misdemanor on Friday.

In addition to her jail time, Lohan was also sentenced to almost 500 hours of community service, including 300 hours at a women's shelter and time at the county morgue.

Lohan's legal troubles began in earnest in 2007 when she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and police found what appeared to be cocaine in her vehicle. She has since bounced in and out of rehab, repeatedly violated probation and skipped or appeared late for several court dates.

MORE LINDSAY LINKS:

Linday Lohan, John Travolta & Kim Kardashian Set To Star In "John Gotti" Movie

Lindsay Lohan Going To Jail! Cries To Judge... [VIDEO]

Beyonce Kicks Lindsey Lohan Out Of Her Dressing Room!

Find Out If Hip-Hop Cops Are Real & Who's Behind Industry Beef! ( @DjLadyT Exclusive Interview)

Lady T got a chance to catch up with Emmy Nominated Director Peter Sprier (BEEF, Tupac: Thug Angel, Just Another Day) about his new film, "Rhyme & Punishment," a documentary about rappers and prison.



With celebs like Lil' Wayne, T.I., Gucci Mane and others in and out of jail, do you think there is a conspiracy to lock up rappers/ entertainers?



In this exclusive interview, the directer reveals to us inside information about the Hip-Hop Police and the stomach turning details of the crimes some rappers did to end up in prison.





WATCH IT FROM YOUR PHONE - CLICK HERE









"Rhyme and Punishment," narrated by the legendary KRS-ONE, takes an in-depth look at the role of prison in hip hop culture, and reveals the side of the story that is not being covered by the news and popular media. The true and personal stories of hip hop artists who are, have been, or are soon to be incarcerated, in their own words. Featuring intimate and compelling interviews with convicted rappers Beanie Sigel, Prodigy, Cassidy, Project Pat, Slick Rick, 40 Glocc, Big Lurch and more!



Click here to get it on DVD!



Check out the trailer below...



Watch it from your phone - here!









UPDATE:



"Rhyme and Punishment" will be on Fuse TV August 11th at 7pm.











RELATED LINKS:

New Movie: "In Time" Starring Justin Timberlake -- Check The Trailer (VIDEO)

Jamie Hector from "The Wire" Talks To Lady T About New Hip-Hop Movie, "Just Another Day" [VIDEO]

Lil' Wayne Pays 1 Million To Stay Out Of Jail!

2011 started off pretty good for Weezy...he's out of jail, his Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl...but is he about to go BACK TO JAIL AGAIN??? Well, not now.

Lil' Wayne paid off over 1 Million dollars in backed up taxes so his ass wouldn't be back in a cell with Wesley Snipes and the rest.

According to reports, Wayne payed off a $1.13 million IRS tax lien which included taxes dating back to 2004, and included tax periods from 2005 and 2007.

The IRS filed a $1.1 million lien on Wayne in a Dade County, Florida court last June.

Lil' Wayne joins other Hip-Hop artists like Nas, Lil' Jon, Swizz Beatz, Xzibit, Doug E. Fresh and more who were cited for not paying their taxes on time.

Pay up people or they will get ya.

T.I.'s In Jail.

T.I. has officially begun his 11-month stint in an Arkansas prison -- law enforcement sources tell TMZ the rapper checked in "sometime this afternoon." TMZ had originally reported T.I. might not serve, but as of now T.I. is repeating last year all over again.

At first we were very confused because of reports that the charges were all dropped:

T.I. Not Going To Jail? Huh...What Happened to 11 Months?
Monday, October 25, 2010

If you recall, T.I. was sentenced to 11 months behind bars after his drug possession arrest on the Sunset Strip back in September -- an arrest that caused law enforcement officials to revoke his probation stemming from a federal gun conviction back in 2009.


A spokesperson for the prison says T.I. will go through the normal process -- which means he'll be processed, pose for a prison photo, and will be given a bunk assignment. As for the shower issue -- we're told T.I.'s prison has a community shower situation. We're told T.I. will have access to a television room for general viewing. T.I. will be issued a standard prison uniform -- khaki trousers, khaki button down shirt and black shoes. Inmates at the prison can make phone calls -- but they're limited to 300 minutes per month. Story developing ...


Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Lil Wayne Placed In Solitary Confinement/ Writes Last Letter To Fans! What does this mean for his release date?

Jailed rapper Lil Wayne has been placed in solitary confinement after music equipment was found in his cell.

Word is Weezy was caught with headphones and an MP3 player charger at New York City's Rikers Island prison. Another inmate was discovered hiding an MP3 player.

If you remember we reported here that this happened back in May but it was not clear if Weezy was punished for it or not. The items were discovered in May and a decision has now been made about how to punish the star. Weezy had stashed an I-Pod in a crisp packet (like for potato chips) in the bin in his cell, according to prison officials.


Looks like it will not affect his release date though.

Wayne will be confined for up to 23 hours a day until he is released on November 4, insiders say.

'He will not be allowed to mingle with other inmates – ever,'

a Corrections Department insider says.



As you know, Weezy has been writing to fans and everyone via his website.

Here's his last letter to his fans from jail:

Hello world. Time is ticking and I’m counting every second. Because of my new limitations, this unfortunately has to be my last letter. I don’t think people truly understand how much their thoughts and well wishes have helped me through this time in my life. Not everyone is as lucky as I am and it humbles me daily. You would be amazed what positivity can do in a negative environment. I’m going to miss reading about your lives. I’m going to miss looking at the pictures. They were the highlight of my days aside from speaking with my kids. Don’t stress over this in 27 days, the ride starts again.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who is supporting I Am Not A Human Being. It amazes me each time people go out and support my music. I’ll always be in debt to you for that. Keep rocking your “Free Weezy” tees and rocking out to my music. Trust me when I say this is almost over. I love you. I’ll continue to pray for all of you. Just keep doing the same for me.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED STORIES:

Lil Wayne Gets Paid 50 Cents an Hour To Look After Inmates On Suicide Watch?!

Lil Wayne's Exclusive Interview Answering All Rumors!!

Lil Wayne's Mother Day Letter From Jail: "A Mother's Worth"

Bruno Mars Gets Arrested For Drugs! The Bathroom Attendant Snitched!! Details inside w/ Mug Shot...

Never underestimate the humble bathroom attendant -- because according to Las Vegas police it was he the the one who helped cops bust Bruno Mars in a casino bathroom this weekend.


Are you thinking what I'm thinking? "Damn...a lot of celebs are getting exposed lately for this drug, right?"

Well, I'm sure there will be plenty more celebs exposed for this after Bruno. But there is a police report from the incident, in which LVMPD officials state a bathroom attendant at the Hard Rock Hotel informed security "there was a man in the bathroom stall with possibly a man using drugs."

According to the report, the attendant went on to say he could "see a male in a striped red shirt with a baggy of white powder substance."

Once law enforcement officers made their move -- cops say they asked Bruno to "give over whatever narcotics he had." According to the report, Bruno then "pulled out a white powder substance, which was consistent with cocaine, from his left-front jeans pocket."

Cops say Bruno --aka Peter Hernandez-- "admitted he did a foolish thing and has never used drugs before."

The report shows ... once the substance "came back positive for cocaine," Bruno was shipped off to the Clark County Detention Center and booked for possession of narcotics.

Always remember to tip your bathroom attendant.

Floyd Mayweather Threatens To Kill His Baby Momma Over Relationship w/ ANOTHER Sports Player! 'I'm going to to have you both disapear!"

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was arrested for Grand Larceny on Friday on charges related to domestic violence on his Baby's Mother, Josie Harris. She filed charges againgst him. Here's the original story - click here!

But not the story gets more interesting as it seems there is a sex scandel going on between Floyd Mayweather Jr., his Baby Momma and ANOTHER sports player. (This is nothing new - click here to check out more sports players sharing women)

But Mayweather may have been in a fit of jealousy; he caught wind of a relationship between Josie and basketball player C.J. Watson from the Chicago Bulls.

According to the report, Mayweather read text messages on Josie's phone ... which included messages from C.J. and Mayweather screamed,

"'Are you having sex with C.J.?'

Harris replied,

'Yes, that is who I'm seeing now.'"

Then, according to the report, all hell broke loose! The 10-year-old son of Mayweather and Josie told cops he

"saw his dad was on his mother and was hitting and kicking
her."

According to the report,

"Harris stated that Mayweather began yelling at Harris, 'I'm going to kill you
and the man your (sic) are messing around with.' He also stated, 'I'm going to
have you both disappear.'"

The police report says Josie Harris was taken to Southern Hills Hospital and treated for "minor facial injuries and a sore left arm." Pictures of the injuries were taken.

The police report goes on to say while Josie was at the hospital Mayweather called Georgia Parker -- Harris' friend who lives in the house -- and told her to get out of the house.

...We'll keep you posted!

T.I. and Tiny Arrested For Possession!! [MUG SHOT + DETAILS]

Oh lawd!! I'm pretty sure you heard the news already, but unfortunately rapper T.I. and his wife, Tiny, were arrested for possession. Mind you, T.I. just did a one year bid for weapon charges, and the couple JUST got married July 30.


These are has their mug shots - right after they were arrested on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood late Wednesday night.


The newlyweds were arrested around 10:18 PM after cops say they were in possession of a controlled substance. We're told the substance in question is ecstasy. There is also word that there was codeine/ sizzurp in the car, filled in styrofoam cups.


Law enforcement sources tell us L.A. County Sheriff's deputies pulled over the multi-platinum selling rapper and his wife in a Maybach on Sunset Boulevard around 10:18PM. Deputies say they smelled marijuana.

When searching the vehicle cops found a controlled substance. Law enforcement sources tell us the controlled substance was not cocaine, but rather the class of controlled substance that triggered the arrest includes methamphetamines and ecstasy.


T.I. and Tiny were in custody with a bail amount of $10,000 and were released around 4:00AM.

Story developing...

Jetblue Flight Attendant Slide Escape Caught On Tape!! [VIDEO]

It's the VIDEO everyone has been waiting to see ... the moment flight attendant Steven Slater popped open the door of his JetBlue aircraft ... and jumped down an inflatable slide.


LOL wow...smh

Angry JetBlue Flight Attendant Curses Out Passenger & Makes Emergency Exit! - Faces 7 Years! [VIDEOS + Details Included]

On Aug. 9, 2010, Steven Slater, a JetBlue flight attendant, was arrested Monday on charges he got into a fight with a passenger and fled by deploying an emergency exit slide at New York's JFK Airport.

JetBlue Airways said in a statement that Slater has been suspended from duty pending an investigation.

Check out this news report below: [VIDEO]



Police say Slater, 38, lost his temper after a rule-breaking passenger hit him on the head with luggage.

In arguing against bail, Turman said Slater's mother has lung cancer. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

Passenger Phil Catelinet said he heard the profanity-laced announcement on Flight 1052 from Pittsburgh, which he said ended with Slater saying,

"I've had it."

He described the announcement as "the most interesting part of the day to that point," but didn't see Slater use the exit slide or grab the beer.

It wasn't until he saw Slater on an airport train and overheard him talking about the escapade that he put it all together.

"He was smiling. He was happy he'd done this,"

Catelinet told NBC's "Today."

Slater appeared "pretty relieved" and "seemed like he was looking forward to whatever comes next careerwise," Catelinet told CBS' "Early Show."

By Monday night, several Facebook pages had been set up in tribute to Slater, with many users of the social networking site expressing support for his grand exit from his job.

Slater was arrested at his home in the Belle Harbor section of Queens by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police.

Slater's attorney's name wasn't immediately available, and there was no home telephone number listed for him. A woman who answered a phone at his previous residence in Thousand Oaks, Calif., identified herself as his mother but said she wasn't speaking to the media.

JetBlue Airways Corp. said in a statement that it was working with the Federal Aviation Administration and Port Authority police to investigate the matter. It said the safety of its customers and crew members was never at risk.

Slater was released on bail in New York.

Check out the video of his release below:




Department of Correction spokesman Stephen Morello told the Associated Press that he doesn't have details on who posted the $2,500 bail for Steven Slater. He has been charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing.

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said the endangerment charge came as a result of Slater opening the emergency exit door and deploying the emergency chute after landing.

"The emergency chute deploys at 3,000 pounds per square inch within seconds and could easily injure or kill ground crews or others on the tarmac who are unaware the chute has been activated,"

Brown said.

"This would have been a far different arraignment if someone had been standing under the emergency chute when it deployed."

The cost to replace the emergency escape slide is in excess of $25,000, according to Jet Blue security.


A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY BE TIRED OF THEIR 9-5, BUT MOST DON'T GET TO MAKE SUCH A FASHIONABLE EXIT! IT'S ALSO VERY SCARRY, WHAT IF ANOTHER SITUATION WOULD OF HAPPENED AT ANOTHER TIME AND IT BECAME WORSE?

HOW DO YOU THINK THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED??

Lil Wayne Calls Into Radio Station While In Prison [VIDEO]

In Case You Missed It:

Lil Wayne chatted w/ New York Radio's Dj Funk Master Flex, over at HOT97.

Lil Kim Gets The Goons To Hold Down Lindsay Lohan In Jail! "She Will Be Fine" [VIDEO]

Lil Kim says she's going to hold down Lindsay while she's in jail!

CLICK HERE TO GET THE DETAILS ON LINDSAY GOING TO JAIL AND WATCH THE VERDICT VIDEO!

Lil Kim goes on to talk about how the Justice System isn't fair to celebrities at times and she also had some kind words for Lindsay being that Lil Kim went through it before.

Props to Kim.. she remains one of the realist to me for doing that time in jail!





"God overseas....He's the biggest judge." --- my fav line from Kim in this video.

Lil Wayne Gets Paid 50 Cents an Hour To Look After Inmates On Suicide Watch?!

Lil Wayne raked in about $42 million last year alone, but now it is said that Wayne is earning a reported $.50 an hour!! All from jail???!!

Us Weekly published an "exclusive interview" with his ex-wife Antonia Toya Carter confirming that Wayne had a job in Riker's Island monitoring inmates on suicide watch.

"He watches the crazy prisoners and makes sure they don't kill themselves. He likes the job even though they don't pay him much."

Yesterday the news hit the web and I didn't get a chance to blog about it till not but Toya has already spoken out saying the reports are untrue.

“ I'm angry this morning. Who told US weekly to say I told them Wayne have a job...I never said that to them!”

Toya took it to twitter:

“Good morning tweethearts....I'm angry this morning. Who told US weekly to say I told them Wayne have a job...I never said that to them...people r Crazy!

Adding insult to injury, when asked by a fan if she ever did an interview with the publication she responded simply,

“Never did.”

So she never even did the interview at all? LOL....I'll get down to the bottom of this for ya.

Birdman Visits Lil Wayne In Jail [VIDEO]

Birdman recently spoke on visiting Weezy in jail, check out this exclusive video below...

T.I. Officially Out Of Prison!

T.I. finally gets to roam free, since March 26th he's been official out of prison since he was locked up for weapons charges last year ... but he's still gonna have the curfew.

T.I. will now be placed under 23 days of supervised release ... which means he'll have to be home by 11 PM unless he's performing, which he'll have to be in by 1 AM.

He will also have to complete 400 hours of community service and will be on probation for three years.

And then don't forget I reported last week that he should be slapped with a lawsuit soon too. But hey, at least he's free right.

Nicki Minaj Talks Moving Forward While Lil Wayne's In Jail- Calls It "An Emotional Roller Coaster"

Lil Wayne Issued A Bench Warrant While In Jail.

So, I've already told you about an alleged "scuffle" that Lil Wayne was involved in, in jail. (Click here for that story) But now an Arizona judge has issued a bench warrant for Weezy for failure to appear in court on more drug and weapons charges.

As you probably know, Lil Wayne is currently locked up for about 1 year. Now he is facing other charges such as possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia and last but not least, the newly added charge of contempt of court for not showing up to court on his scheduled date.

A judge in Yuma, Arizona has issued a bench warrant for the rapper on Tuesday (March. 18) as he sits in Rikers Island, the infamous prison in up-state New York.

It is not yet known whether Wayne will be transported from Rikers to see the judge in Arizona but we do know that Wayne has pled not guilty to all charges.