Leonardo DiCaprio's court troubles
Leonardo DiCaprio has been dealing with the law lately.
First:
in 2005, DiCaprio was slashed behind his ear with a jagged piece of broken glass at a friends house by a stalker. The stalker, L.A. police allege Aretha Wilson, 37, fled to Canada to avoid an arrest warrant .
DiCaprio's stalker is scheduled to return next month to a Toronto court on assault charges.
Wilson has been out on bail in Toronto for some months now. Since the police now know where she is residing, LA county wants to get her back. They're looking at evidence to seek her extradition on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
"If she's only going to serve six months up there, it might be worth it for us to extradite her if we can get a stiffer consequence," L.A. police Det. Steve Ramirez said.
The attack on DiCaprio occurred at a party at the home of former Paris Hilton partner Rick Salomon.
"When the suspect approached him, he tried to walk away," said L.A. police officer Karen Smith.
The accused had once dated a friend of DiCaprio's, reports say. When the actor cut their conversation short, the contents of a glass were flung at him. Then when he turned, he was hit by the glass itself.
Friends rushed DiCaprio to hospital, where 17 stitches were needed to close cuts on his neck and ear.
DiCaprio's spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the woman had crashed the private party and had been asked repeatedly to leave.
An extradition would likely be a long process unless Wilson were to consent.
"They are supposed to happen quickly but they can take years," said Toronto criminal lawyer David Rose.
Second:
DiCaprio's neighbors want to sue him for building a basketball court they claim destabilized their property. Fortunatly, the judge believes that there is not enough evidence for his neighbors to sue.
Superior Court Judge Tricia Ann Bigelow gave DiCaprio's neighbors, Ronald and Joan Linclau 15 days to amend the complaint. If it is accepted, it would go to trial July 21.
The Linclaus sued DiCaprio in May, claiming their Hollywood Hills property was illegally excavated and some plants removed so the star of Titanic and The Basketball Diaries could have a basketball court built at his rented home in 2004.
The lawsuit claims the work undermined a slope behind the couple's home and left their deck and pool in danger of collapse.
The judge said Thursday that the suit failed to show DiCaprio caused the destabilization.
"I don't think he cut down the trees; he's probably busy doing some other things," Bigelow said.
DiCaprio's court papers contend the problem may have been caused by the Linclaus installing an "illegal railroad tie retaining wall."
The papers contend the Linclaus were "seeking a scapegoat for the potential problems that they themselves created."
