Morgan Carey is suing his younger sister and famous singer, Mariah Carey, for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress related to stories recounted in her recently released memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. The lawsuit focuses on several passages from her book, of which one reads: “It took twelve cops to pull my brother and father apart. The big bodies of men, all entangled like a swirling hurricane, crashed loudly into the living room. I was a little girl with very few memories of a big brother who protected me. More often, I felt I had to protect myself from him, and sometimes I would find myself protecting my…
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Jilted North Carolina Spouse wins $8.8 Million over Wife’s Affair
Last week a Superior Court judge in Durham, North Carolina awarded Keith King $8.8 million dollars in damages against Francisco Huizar III, a man who had an affair with King’s wife. This verdict is the result of North Carolina’s alienation of affection and criminal conversion laws. A remnant of English common law, causes of action for alienation of affection and criminal conversion allow a spouse to recover damages when a third party interferes with the relationship and causes deprivation of affection, frequently seen in cases of adultery. At trial Keith King showed that he and his wife, Danielle, were happily married from 2010 until 2015. In 2015, Danielle…
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How Statutes of Limitations May Affect Harvey Weinstein’s Accusers’ Legal Options
Should the mounting allegations of sexual harassment and assault prove to be true – and it’s not looking so good for him – then Harvey Weinstein is a criminal. This isn’t just “bad behavior” or “acting inappropriately.” Sexual assault is a crime punishable by law. However, it is also a tort (a civil wrong) that could result in financial liability if proven in court. Criminal assault and civil assault have different statues of limitations. It is possible that he could be held criminally liable as well as civilly liable should his accusers bring a suit against him before the civil statute runs in each of their particular cases. In many…