Attorney: Lohan may sue
jewelry store
Originally published: March 8, 2011 7:51 PM
Updated: March 8, 2011 9:36 PM
By FRANK LOVECE. Special to Newsday
The Lohan family lawyer confirmed Tuesday that
Lindsay Lohan is considering a lawsuit against
the jewelry store that sold broadcast rights to
a surveillance video that the store owners allege
show her stealing a $2,500 necklace.
"We are investigating right now the possibility of
a lawsuit," East Meadow attorney Stephanie
Ovadia told Newsday, "on the grounds of
unauthorized exploitation of her likeness and her
image, unjust enrichment, invasion of privacy,
emotional distress and a couple of other things
that we're researching."
"As of this moment, we have never received any
contact or communication of any type from
Lindsay Lohan's attorneys or her representative
that she intended to file a legal complaint in this
matter," said Christopher Spencer, spokesman for
the Venice, Calif., jeweler Kamofie & Co., in a
statement Tuesday. "The bottom line is, we felt
there was far too much speculation about the
video recording, and that it was right for the
public to be able to see the video itself."
"Any celebrity who walks into any establishment
by themselves or with their children or other
family members will always have to feel that
somebody's filming them to potentially sell it for
a profit," Dina Lohan, Lindsay Lohan's mother and
manager, told Newsday. "When they're not making
movies they shouldn't have to feel like they are."
Lohan, 24, has maintained the necklace was
borrowed and returned late, and has pleaded not
guilty.Said Spencer, "Kamofie and Company never
gave permission to Ms. Lohan to remove the
necklace from the store." Lohan is due in court
Thursday in the case.
jewelry store
Originally published: March 8, 2011 7:51 PM
Updated: March 8, 2011 9:36 PM
By FRANK LOVECE. Special to Newsday
The Lohan family lawyer confirmed Tuesday that
Lindsay Lohan is considering a lawsuit against
the jewelry store that sold broadcast rights to
a surveillance video that the store owners allege
show her stealing a $2,500 necklace.
"We are investigating right now the possibility of
a lawsuit," East Meadow attorney Stephanie
Ovadia told Newsday, "on the grounds of
unauthorized exploitation of her likeness and her
image, unjust enrichment, invasion of privacy,
emotional distress and a couple of other things
that we're researching."
"As of this moment, we have never received any
contact or communication of any type from
Lindsay Lohan's attorneys or her representative
that she intended to file a legal complaint in this
matter," said Christopher Spencer, spokesman for
the Venice, Calif., jeweler Kamofie & Co., in a
statement Tuesday. "The bottom line is, we felt
there was far too much speculation about the
video recording, and that it was right for the
public to be able to see the video itself."
"Any celebrity who walks into any establishment
by themselves or with their children or other
family members will always have to feel that
somebody's filming them to potentially sell it for
a profit," Dina Lohan, Lindsay Lohan's mother and
manager, told Newsday. "When they're not making
movies they shouldn't have to feel like they are."
Lohan, 24, has maintained the necklace was
borrowed and returned late, and has pleaded not
guilty.Said Spencer, "Kamofie and Company never
gave permission to Ms. Lohan to remove the
necklace from the store." Lohan is due in court
Thursday in the case.
Ovadia
Law Firm
1-800-922-LAWS
1-800-922-5297
Law Firm
1-800-922-LAWS
1-800-922-5297
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Lindsay Lohan's mom
considering legal action
against movie: report
POST WIRE SERVICES
Last Updated: 5:05 PM, December 28, 2010
Posted: 11:05 AM, December 28, 2010
LOS ANGELES -- Producers of "Dogs in
Pocketbooks" -- a movie based on troubled
starlet Lindsay Lohan's wild life -- may have to
open their wallets because LiLo's mom is
reportedly considering legal action against
them.
Dina Lohan told TMZ.com today that the new
comedy movie "is definitely based on Lindsay's
likeness" and that she has "a very strong case"
against the flick.
Lohan's family lawyer Stephanie Ovadia has been
contacted and it seems that she thinks they HAVE
A CASE TOO.
"They are again using her likeness without her
being compensated," she told TMZ. "Not only that
but they are advertising the fact that they are
using her likeness."
This is not the first time the Lohan clan has used
lawyers to intimidate others -- often to their
benefit.
In September, Lohan settled her $100 million
lawsuit against E*Trade after the actress had
claimed that the stock-trading firm violated her
rights by using her first name in a TV commercial
during the Super Bowl that featured a
"milkaholic" baby named Lindsay in a toddler
love triangle.
Lohan's lawyers declined to discuss any details,
including the settlement amount.
"Basically, it was a business decision to move
on," an E*Trade spokeswoman said.
Lohan's case was helped by an Esquire magazine
reporter who was privy to the making of the ad --
and revealed that the baby's name had been
changed from Deborah.
Lohan, 24, is due to be released from the Betty
Ford clinic on Jan. 3.
She is no longer slated to star as porn actress
Linda Lovelace in a biopic and does not
currently have any other confirmed acting roles
slated.
With AP
considering legal action
against movie: report
POST WIRE SERVICES
Last Updated: 5:05 PM, December 28, 2010
Posted: 11:05 AM, December 28, 2010
LOS ANGELES -- Producers of "Dogs in
Pocketbooks" -- a movie based on troubled
starlet Lindsay Lohan's wild life -- may have to
open their wallets because LiLo's mom is
reportedly considering legal action against
them.
Dina Lohan told TMZ.com today that the new
comedy movie "is definitely based on Lindsay's
likeness" and that she has "a very strong case"
against the flick.
Lohan's family lawyer Stephanie Ovadia has been
contacted and it seems that she thinks they HAVE
A CASE TOO.
"They are again using her likeness without her
being compensated," she told TMZ. "Not only that
but they are advertising the fact that they are
using her likeness."
This is not the first time the Lohan clan has used
lawyers to intimidate others -- often to their
benefit.
In September, Lohan settled her $100 million
lawsuit against E*Trade after the actress had
claimed that the stock-trading firm violated her
rights by using her first name in a TV commercial
during the Super Bowl that featured a
"milkaholic" baby named Lindsay in a toddler
love triangle.
Lohan's lawyers declined to discuss any details,
including the settlement amount.
"Basically, it was a business decision to move
on," an E*Trade spokeswoman said.
Lohan's case was helped by an Esquire magazine
reporter who was privy to the making of the ad --
and revealed that the baby's name had been
changed from Deborah.
Lohan, 24, is due to be released from the Betty
Ford clinic on Jan. 3.
She is no longer slated to star as porn actress
Linda Lovelace in a biopic and does not
currently have any other confirmed acting roles
slated.
With AP
Girl 'molested' in B'klyn
school
By KIERAN CROWLEY and LORENA MONGELLI
Last Updated: 9:55 AM, November 30, 2010
A 9-year-old Brooklyn girl was subjected to vile
physical and sexual abuse in a school bathroom
by two male students -- who forced her to drink
toilet water and threatened to kill her if she
reported them, sources said.
The child's lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia --
questioning why police were never called --
yesterday filed an $11 million notice of claim to
sue the city for the alleged torturelike bullying
at PS 22 in Prospect Heights.
school
By KIERAN CROWLEY and LORENA MONGELLI
Last Updated: 9:55 AM, November 30, 2010
A 9-year-old Brooklyn girl was subjected to vile
physical and sexual abuse in a school bathroom
by two male students -- who forced her to drink
toilet water and threatened to kill her if she
reported them, sources said.
The child's lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia --
questioning why police were never called --
yesterday filed an $11 million notice of claim to
sue the city for the alleged torturelike bullying
at PS 22 in Prospect Heights.
Embryo no-no suit vs. hosp
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 11:24 AM, October 25, 2010
Posted: 1:56 AM, October 25, 2010
A Queens couple trying to conceive a child claims
a doctor destroyed their prospects for a family
by thawing and killing their embryos, and now
they're suing the Long Island hospital where they
went for fertility treatments.
"It was very painful," said Abida Mahmood, 37. "I
feel like they killed my babies. I've been crying for
months."
She and her husband, Sajid, 50, of Astoria, told
The Post they were unable to conceive and went
last year to the North Shore-Long Island Jewish
Center for Human Reproduction, at North Shore
University Hospital, in Manhasset.
Their doctor, Matthew Cohen, began an in-vitro
fertilization program in which eggs were
extracted from Abida, fertilized outside the womb
and implanted back into her, said the couple's
lawyer Stephanie Ovadia.
Cohen extracted 18 eggs last November, 16 of
which were successfully fertilized and
developed into embryos, the lawsuit says.
A month later, two of the embryos were
implanted, but that failed to result in a
pregnancy, Abida said. A second procedure in
February used two more embryos but also did not
lead to pregnancy.
In May, the couple decided to change physicians.
They asked Cohen's office to return their
embryos and were told to pick them up.
After waiting an hour at North Shore, they said,
they were told that the embryos had been thawed
and destroyed.
"I asked them, 'Why did you destroy my embryos
without my permission?' " said Abida, an airport
security officer.
North Shore University Hospital spokesman Brian
Mulligan said the problem "was some kind of
misunderstanding."
The Mahmoods filed the malpractice suit in
Nassau County Supreme Court.
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 11:24 AM, October 25, 2010
Posted: 1:56 AM, October 25, 2010
A Queens couple trying to conceive a child claims
a doctor destroyed their prospects for a family
by thawing and killing their embryos, and now
they're suing the Long Island hospital where they
went for fertility treatments.
"It was very painful," said Abida Mahmood, 37. "I
feel like they killed my babies. I've been crying for
months."
She and her husband, Sajid, 50, of Astoria, told
The Post they were unable to conceive and went
last year to the North Shore-Long Island Jewish
Center for Human Reproduction, at North Shore
University Hospital, in Manhasset.
Their doctor, Matthew Cohen, began an in-vitro
fertilization program in which eggs were
extracted from Abida, fertilized outside the womb
and implanted back into her, said the couple's
lawyer Stephanie Ovadia.
Cohen extracted 18 eggs last November, 16 of
which were successfully fertilized and
developed into embryos, the lawsuit says.
A month later, two of the embryos were
implanted, but that failed to result in a
pregnancy, Abida said. A second procedure in
February used two more embryos but also did not
lead to pregnancy.
In May, the couple decided to change physicians.
They asked Cohen's office to return their
embryos and were told to pick them up.
After waiting an hour at North Shore, they said,
they were told that the embryos had been thawed
and destroyed.
"I asked them, 'Why did you destroy my embryos
without my permission?' " said Abida, an airport
security officer.
North Shore University Hospital spokesman Brian
Mulligan said the problem "was some kind of
misunderstanding."
The Mahmoods filed the malpractice suit in
Nassau County Supreme Court.
Newborn death rage
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 10:25 AM, October 5, 2010
Posted: 2:52 AM, October 5, 2010
A distraught mother is grieving the death of her
newborn child and demanding answers from a
Long Island hospital -- after she claims doctors
kept her waiting overnight without explanation
after her "water broke" and her baby's pulse
slowed.
Sharoya Vance, 26, of Hempstead, said she
entered Nassau University Medical Center in East
Meadow at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, "after my water
broke. They didn't do anything all night," despite
the fact that the baby's pulse slackened, she said.
In the morning, her daughter, Debre-Ann, was
born and had critical medical problems.
"I didn't even get to kiss her," said a sobbing
Vance. "The first time I saw her was at the
morgue. Now, I'm planning a funeral . . . I want to
know why my baby died."
Her lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, said her office "is
investigating the circumstances of this child's
death."
NUMC declined to comment, citing patient
confidentiality.
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 10:25 AM, October 5, 2010
Posted: 2:52 AM, October 5, 2010
A distraught mother is grieving the death of her
newborn child and demanding answers from a
Long Island hospital -- after she claims doctors
kept her waiting overnight without explanation
after her "water broke" and her baby's pulse
slowed.
Sharoya Vance, 26, of Hempstead, said she
entered Nassau University Medical Center in East
Meadow at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, "after my water
broke. They didn't do anything all night," despite
the fact that the baby's pulse slackened, she said.
In the morning, her daughter, Debre-Ann, was
born and had critical medical problems.
"I didn't even get to kiss her," said a sobbing
Vance. "The first time I saw her was at the
morgue. Now, I'm planning a funeral . . . I want to
know why my baby died."
Her lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, said her office "is
investigating the circumstances of this child's
death."
NUMC declined to comment, citing patient
confidentiality.
SI teen busted in mall attack
on 'Jersey Shore' star
Angelina, friend
By JAMIE SCHRAM, DAN MANGAN and KIERAN
CROWLEY
Last Updated: 5:36 PM, November 2, 2010
Posted: 12:31 PM, November 2, 2010
A Staten Island teen has been arrested for
attacking Jersey Shore brat Angelina Pivarnick
and her friend at the Staten Island mall last
week, law enforcement sources said.
Kelsey Balzafiore, 19, was charged Sunday with
misdemeanor assault and issued a desk
appearance ticket in connection with the dust up
in the shopping mall on Oct. 29, sources said.
Balzafiore is required by law to appear in court
to face the charge at a later date.
Pivarnick and her pal Jeanine Vaiana were
shopping for Halloween costumes at Hot Topic at
about 2:40 p.m., when a group of angry youths set
upon them for unspecified reasons, sources said.
Pivarnick later told police that she was beaten
about the head while Vaiana claimed that she was
struck in the face with a bottle, sources said.
No one was seriously injured.
Pivarnick appeared in both seasons of “Jersey
Shore” and left before the end of each season
because of her drama queen status.
Balzafiore's lawyer, Justin Blitz of the
Manhattan firm Schulman Blitz, said, "It is
unfortunate that my client is implicated in this
incident. Kelsey was not the instigator of this
altercation and was acting only in self defense.
"And we're confident that her name will be
cleared. Anyone who is a fan of 'Jersey Shore'
knows Angelina has provoked and instigated
physical confrontation before, and this incident
is no different."
Pivarnick told The Post, "I was shopping and I got
hit in the back of the head. My friend was hit in
the mouth and has loose teeth. I'm glad that is
justice is being servied."
"I'm a little upset. My neck hurts and I have a huge
welt on the back of my head," Pivarnick said. "It's
just unfortunate that this had to happen. These
girls started with me. But security took about 20
to 30 minutes to get there. Everbody was talking
crap about me."
Stephanie Ovadia, Pivarnick's lawyer, said she is
preparing to file a lawsuit against the mall and
Hot Topic because of the incident, saying "There
was lack of security in the mall. It took a long
period of time for security to arrive, and both
women were assaulted before that."
on 'Jersey Shore' star
Angelina, friend
By JAMIE SCHRAM, DAN MANGAN and KIERAN
CROWLEY
Last Updated: 5:36 PM, November 2, 2010
Posted: 12:31 PM, November 2, 2010
A Staten Island teen has been arrested for
attacking Jersey Shore brat Angelina Pivarnick
and her friend at the Staten Island mall last
week, law enforcement sources said.
Kelsey Balzafiore, 19, was charged Sunday with
misdemeanor assault and issued a desk
appearance ticket in connection with the dust up
in the shopping mall on Oct. 29, sources said.
Balzafiore is required by law to appear in court
to face the charge at a later date.
Pivarnick and her pal Jeanine Vaiana were
shopping for Halloween costumes at Hot Topic at
about 2:40 p.m., when a group of angry youths set
upon them for unspecified reasons, sources said.
Pivarnick later told police that she was beaten
about the head while Vaiana claimed that she was
struck in the face with a bottle, sources said.
No one was seriously injured.
Pivarnick appeared in both seasons of “Jersey
Shore” and left before the end of each season
because of her drama queen status.
Balzafiore's lawyer, Justin Blitz of the
Manhattan firm Schulman Blitz, said, "It is
unfortunate that my client is implicated in this
incident. Kelsey was not the instigator of this
altercation and was acting only in self defense.
"And we're confident that her name will be
cleared. Anyone who is a fan of 'Jersey Shore'
knows Angelina has provoked and instigated
physical confrontation before, and this incident
is no different."
Pivarnick told The Post, "I was shopping and I got
hit in the back of the head. My friend was hit in
the mouth and has loose teeth. I'm glad that is
justice is being servied."
"I'm a little upset. My neck hurts and I have a huge
welt on the back of my head," Pivarnick said. "It's
just unfortunate that this had to happen. These
girls started with me. But security took about 20
to 30 minutes to get there. Everbody was talking
crap about me."
Stephanie Ovadia, Pivarnick's lawyer, said she is
preparing to file a lawsuit against the mall and
Hot Topic because of the incident, saying "There
was lack of security in the mall. It took a long
period of time for security to arrive, and both
women were assaulted before that."
EXCLUSIVE: Meet "Octo-
Attorney" Stephanie Ovadia
Posted on May 13, 2010 @ 01:05PM
Long before Kate Gosselin and Octo-Mom made
headlines as single moms raising
8 kids, attorney to the stars, Stephanie Ovadia,
was paving the road.
For 20 years, Ovadia has been proving it possible
to raise a passel of normal, healthy children
while having a successful career---and all as a
single mom.
“I’ve always had my own practice and I’ve always
worked as an attorney, but I made the time,”
Ovadia told RadarOnline.com. “People say, 'how
do you do it? What’s your secret?’ I hear this
from mothers, women, everybody. How do you do
it? And I say it’s all about the time you spend with
them. You have to make the time for the things
that are important to you.”
The Long Island based attorney has 8 children
who range in age from 21 to 3 year old twins.
Her oldest was just accepted to medical school
and her second oldest son wants to follow her
into law. That’s a wise decision considering
Ovadia’s roster of high-profile clients include
Jon Gosselin’s ex-girlfriend Hailey Glassman and
Lindsay Lohan. Ovadia is currently representing
Lindsay in her $100 million lawsuit against
financial firm E*Trade.
“It’s all a matter of the time you spend with your
kids,” Ovadia said. “If you let yourself get
frazzled by the media. I think a lot of these
celebrity moms are frazzled by the media and you
have to put that aside because then you bring it
home with you. There are plenty of nights where I’
ve brought things home with me and I’m not
dealing with nearly as much stress as these
celebrity moms who have 200 paparazzi chasing
them around just looking for something to go
wrong.”
Some might argue that life with 8 kids is easier
when you space them out over time as opposed to
Kate Gosselin or Octo-mom Nadya Suleman who
gave birth to six and eight multiples, respectively.
But Ovadia says no way.
“I actually think it’s harder,” she says. “At least
when you’re dealing with everybody at the same
age, you’re coming across the same situations all
at the same time. I’m running into dating and
drinking issues and still changing diapers and
dealing with thumb-sucking!”
When she’s not in court or raising 8 kids, Ovadia
is also an on-air commentator for a local news
station in New York.
Sound too good to be true? Ovadia says it all
boils down to one thing. “Don’t get me wrong, we
have our knock-down, drag down fights,” she
says. “But at the end of the day, everybody knows
that family is more important. I just want people
to understand that it can work‹if you want it to.
It’s just a matter of how you space your time.”
“Just call me Octo-Attorney, ” she laughs. “That’
s how I’m going to start branding myself. You’ve
heard of Octo-mom? I’m the Octo-Attorney!”
Attorney" Stephanie Ovadia
Posted on May 13, 2010 @ 01:05PM
Long before Kate Gosselin and Octo-Mom made
headlines as single moms raising
8 kids, attorney to the stars, Stephanie Ovadia,
was paving the road.
For 20 years, Ovadia has been proving it possible
to raise a passel of normal, healthy children
while having a successful career---and all as a
single mom.
“I’ve always had my own practice and I’ve always
worked as an attorney, but I made the time,”
Ovadia told RadarOnline.com. “People say, 'how
do you do it? What’s your secret?’ I hear this
from mothers, women, everybody. How do you do
it? And I say it’s all about the time you spend with
them. You have to make the time for the things
that are important to you.”
The Long Island based attorney has 8 children
who range in age from 21 to 3 year old twins.
Her oldest was just accepted to medical school
and her second oldest son wants to follow her
into law. That’s a wise decision considering
Ovadia’s roster of high-profile clients include
Jon Gosselin’s ex-girlfriend Hailey Glassman and
Lindsay Lohan. Ovadia is currently representing
Lindsay in her $100 million lawsuit against
financial firm E*Trade.
“It’s all a matter of the time you spend with your
kids,” Ovadia said. “If you let yourself get
frazzled by the media. I think a lot of these
celebrity moms are frazzled by the media and you
have to put that aside because then you bring it
home with you. There are plenty of nights where I’
ve brought things home with me and I’m not
dealing with nearly as much stress as these
celebrity moms who have 200 paparazzi chasing
them around just looking for something to go
wrong.”
Some might argue that life with 8 kids is easier
when you space them out over time as opposed to
Kate Gosselin or Octo-mom Nadya Suleman who
gave birth to six and eight multiples, respectively.
But Ovadia says no way.
“I actually think it’s harder,” she says. “At least
when you’re dealing with everybody at the same
age, you’re coming across the same situations all
at the same time. I’m running into dating and
drinking issues and still changing diapers and
dealing with thumb-sucking!”
When she’s not in court or raising 8 kids, Ovadia
is also an on-air commentator for a local news
station in New York.
Sound too good to be true? Ovadia says it all
boils down to one thing. “Don’t get me wrong, we
have our knock-down, drag down fights,” she
says. “But at the end of the day, everybody knows
that family is more important. I just want people
to understand that it can work‹if you want it to.
It’s just a matter of how you space your time.”
“Just call me Octo-Attorney, ” she laughs. “That’
s how I’m going to start branding myself. You’ve
heard of Octo-mom? I’m the Octo-Attorney!”
Warning on 'killer' baby sling
Recalled by maker
By TODD VENEZIA and KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 6:25 AM, March 25, 2010
Posted: 3:35 AM, March 25, 2010
Baby-sling loving uber-mommies got new reason to
fear yesterday, after more than 1 million units of
a popular child carrier were recalled because of
a string of suffocation deaths, according to
federal officials.
Consumers who bought the Infantino-brand
SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo models of
infant slings were told yesterday to immediately
stop using them, since both units can squeeze
babies until they stop breathing.
Infantino President Jack Vresics said the company
would offer a free replacement baby carrier,
activity gym or shopping-cart cover to owners of
the slings.
Baby slings have become the hot new way for
fashionable moms to tote their kids around town,
with celebrities from Brooke Shields to Rachel
Weisz seen using them. But earlier this month the
Consumer Product Safety Commission warned
parents that slings can be deadly dangerous.
Yesterday, the commission said three deaths have
been linked to the recalled carriers.
A Brooklyn mom whose son died on Feb. 20, told
The Post yesterday she believes that her child
was also a victim of an Infantino carrier.
"They need to make a law so these things aren't
made, because these things aren't safe for
babies," said Christina Bethea, 24, whose
25-day-old son, Rayshawn, died after she held him
in an Infantino SlingRider for about 40 minutes.
She said that she was at the Madd Fun
entertainment center in East New York with her
three other kids and some family members when
she first realized something was wrong.
"I took him out to feed him and he wasn't
responding," she said yesterday, welling up in
tears. "His hands were blue and his feet were blue.
The city medical examiner has not determined an
official cause of Rayshawn's death. Bethea
blames the carrier.
"It was the sling," she said. "It was the only thing,
because my baby was born full-term, he was
totally healthy, he didn't have breathing
problems."
Her attorney, Stephanie Ovadia, said that she will
be filing suit soon.
"We are currently investigating circumstances
surrounding this horrible tragedy," she said. "I'm
glad that there is a recall at last, and hopefully
no more mothers will have to undergo this
nightmare."
Additional reporting by Sabrina Ford and Murray
Weiss
Recalled by maker
By TODD VENEZIA and KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 6:25 AM, March 25, 2010
Posted: 3:35 AM, March 25, 2010
Baby-sling loving uber-mommies got new reason to
fear yesterday, after more than 1 million units of
a popular child carrier were recalled because of
a string of suffocation deaths, according to
federal officials.
Consumers who bought the Infantino-brand
SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo models of
infant slings were told yesterday to immediately
stop using them, since both units can squeeze
babies until they stop breathing.
Infantino President Jack Vresics said the company
would offer a free replacement baby carrier,
activity gym or shopping-cart cover to owners of
the slings.
Baby slings have become the hot new way for
fashionable moms to tote their kids around town,
with celebrities from Brooke Shields to Rachel
Weisz seen using them. But earlier this month the
Consumer Product Safety Commission warned
parents that slings can be deadly dangerous.
Yesterday, the commission said three deaths have
been linked to the recalled carriers.
A Brooklyn mom whose son died on Feb. 20, told
The Post yesterday she believes that her child
was also a victim of an Infantino carrier.
"They need to make a law so these things aren't
made, because these things aren't safe for
babies," said Christina Bethea, 24, whose
25-day-old son, Rayshawn, died after she held him
in an Infantino SlingRider for about 40 minutes.
She said that she was at the Madd Fun
entertainment center in East New York with her
three other kids and some family members when
she first realized something was wrong.
"I took him out to feed him and he wasn't
responding," she said yesterday, welling up in
tears. "His hands were blue and his feet were blue.
The city medical examiner has not determined an
official cause of Rayshawn's death. Bethea
blames the carrier.
"It was the sling," she said. "It was the only thing,
because my baby was born full-term, he was
totally healthy, he didn't have breathing
problems."
Her attorney, Stephanie Ovadia, said that she will
be filing suit soon.
"We are currently investigating circumstances
surrounding this horrible tragedy," she said. "I'm
glad that there is a recall at last, and hopefully
no more mothers will have to undergo this
nightmare."
Additional reporting by Sabrina Ford and Murray
Weiss
Hailey Glassman lawyer calls
Jon Gosselin camp's claims
'ludicrous' and 'ridiculous' in
break-in
BY OLIVIA SMITH
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The war of words between Jon Gosselin and
Hailey Glassman continues following the
trashing of an apartment they shared, with
lawyers for both sides lashing out.
After Gosselin's lawyer boldly told
RadarOnline Monday that Glassman was "going
to jail, it's as simple as that," her lawyer,
Stephanie Ovadia, fired back.
"For an attorney to go out there and say
someone's going to jail when they're not even
arrested - that's just irresponsible," Ovadia told
Attorney: Lohan may sue jewelry People.com
"That is the most ludicrous, ridiculous,
unnecessary statement I have ever in my life
heard."
Glassman admits she took items from the
apartment, but only ones that belonged to her.
She had been splitting rent on the W. 72nd St.
pad with Gosselin and they were living there as a
couple until they split several weeks ago.
Jon Gosselin camp's claims
'ludicrous' and 'ridiculous' in
break-in
BY OLIVIA SMITH
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The war of words between Jon Gosselin and
Hailey Glassman continues following the
trashing of an apartment they shared, with
lawyers for both sides lashing out.
After Gosselin's lawyer boldly told
RadarOnline Monday that Glassman was "going
to jail, it's as simple as that," her lawyer,
Stephanie Ovadia, fired back.
"For an attorney to go out there and say
someone's going to jail when they're not even
arrested - that's just irresponsible," Ovadia told
Attorney: Lohan may sue jewelry People.com
"That is the most ludicrous, ridiculous,
unnecessary statement I have ever in my life
heard."
Glassman admits she took items from the
apartment, but only ones that belonged to her.
She had been splitting rent on the W. 72nd St.
pad with Gosselin and they were living there as a
couple until they split several weeks ago.
BLACK DRIVER'S 'BIAS'
ORDEAL
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 5:00 AM, June 20, 2007
Posted: 5:00 AM, June 20, 2007
State troopers on Long Island pointed a gun to
the head of a 19-year-old black Queens man
driving his mom's Mercedes, and threatened to
kill him because he was speeding, his lawyer says.
"It appears that he was profiled," said Stephanie
Ovadia, lawyer for Ricky Walker, who was
pulled over on the Southern State Parkway at
5:10 a.m. on June 6.
Ovadia said she would file a notice of claim on
behalf of her client, adding that Walker, who
had never been arrested before, was driving to
his job at UPS in Uniondale when a state trooper
pulled him over near Eagle Avenue in West
Hempstead.
The vehicle is owned by his mother, Kim, a
traffic-enforcement officer for the NYPD.
"He was threatened with death because police
thought he was speeding," said Ovadia. "This was
a complete violation of his civil rights."
Walker said the officer called for backup and
waited for at least one other cop to arrive.
"He told me to throw the car keys out the
window, and I did that. When I saw him in the
rearview mirror, he yelled at me, 'Don't you f- -
-ing look at me . . . I'll shoot you in the back of
your head.'
"I was scared," Walker said. "He told me not to
move. He said 'You f- - -ing bastard, you move - I'll
kill you.' "
Walker said the troopers approached his vehicle
with their guns out and pointed at him.
"I was looking down the barrel of the gun," he
said.
Walker said he was pulled from the Mercedes,
handcuffed and placed into the back of a police
car while the cops searched the car and trunk.
"They kept asking, 'Where's the weed?' I told
them there was no weed. They impounded my
mother's car - I don't know for what reason,"
Walker said.
He added that they released the car the same
day, after charging him with reckless driving
and citing him for speeding and failure to signal.
He said the cop apologized to him before
releasing him.
A State Police spokesman said no complaint had
been filed against the officer, but declined to
comment further.
ORDEAL
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 5:00 AM, June 20, 2007
Posted: 5:00 AM, June 20, 2007
State troopers on Long Island pointed a gun to
the head of a 19-year-old black Queens man
driving his mom's Mercedes, and threatened to
kill him because he was speeding, his lawyer says.
"It appears that he was profiled," said Stephanie
Ovadia, lawyer for Ricky Walker, who was
pulled over on the Southern State Parkway at
5:10 a.m. on June 6.
Ovadia said she would file a notice of claim on
behalf of her client, adding that Walker, who
had never been arrested before, was driving to
his job at UPS in Uniondale when a state trooper
pulled him over near Eagle Avenue in West
Hempstead.
The vehicle is owned by his mother, Kim, a
traffic-enforcement officer for the NYPD.
"He was threatened with death because police
thought he was speeding," said Ovadia. "This was
a complete violation of his civil rights."
Walker said the officer called for backup and
waited for at least one other cop to arrive.
"He told me to throw the car keys out the
window, and I did that. When I saw him in the
rearview mirror, he yelled at me, 'Don't you f- -
-ing look at me . . . I'll shoot you in the back of
your head.'
"I was scared," Walker said. "He told me not to
move. He said 'You f- - -ing bastard, you move - I'll
kill you.' "
Walker said the troopers approached his vehicle
with their guns out and pointed at him.
"I was looking down the barrel of the gun," he
said.
Walker said he was pulled from the Mercedes,
handcuffed and placed into the back of a police
car while the cops searched the car and trunk.
"They kept asking, 'Where's the weed?' I told
them there was no weed. They impounded my
mother's car - I don't know for what reason,"
Walker said.
He added that they released the car the same
day, after charging him with reckless driving
and citing him for speeding and failure to signal.
He said the cop apologized to him before
releasing him.
A State Police spokesman said no complaint had
been filed against the officer, but declined to
comment further.
SICK OVER RX
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 5:00 AM, June 8, 2007
Posted: 5:00 AM, June 8, 2007
A Long Island mom said she was shocked to find
out her local pharmacy had closed and sold
her confidential medical records to another
pharmacy without notifying her.
Randee Lonergan, 34, of Levittown, said the Stop
& Shop Pharmacy in Bethpage was shut down and
a nearby Target had purchased the records.
Her lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, said the action
might have violated federal and state laws, and
she's considering a lawsuit.
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 5:00 AM, June 8, 2007
Posted: 5:00 AM, June 8, 2007
A Long Island mom said she was shocked to find
out her local pharmacy had closed and sold
her confidential medical records to another
pharmacy without notifying her.
Randee Lonergan, 34, of Levittown, said the Stop
& Shop Pharmacy in Bethpage was shut down and
a nearby Target had purchased the records.
Her lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, said the action
might have violated federal and state laws, and
she's considering a lawsuit.
OLD-TIMER DIES AFTER FALL
DOWN CON ED HOLE
By KIERAN CROWLEY and WYNNE PARRY
Last Updated: 5:00 AM, April 22, 2007
Posted: 5:00 AM, April 22, 2007
A retired Queens pharmacist died yesterday from
injuries he suffered in a freak fall into a
15-foot-deep construction pit at a Con Ed site in
Forest Hills, authorities said.
Darryl Kahn, 64, died from head injuries at
Jamaica Hospital at 2:45 p.m., a day after he
accidentally tumbled into the pit where Con Ed
workers were replacing a transformer, police
and officials at the utility said.
Kahn had been returning to his home from a
nearby Off-Track Betting parlor at 5:15 p.m.
Friday when he approached the construction site
at 70th Road and Queens Boulevard, his family
said.
Exactly how he fell into the hole was unclear.
Con Ed workers told police they had warned
Kahn to stay away from the clearly marked and
barricaded construction zone but he didn't
listen.
"We don't know why this pedestrian squeezed
into the area and how he fell . . . but he was in
an area he shouldn't have been," said Con Ed
spokesman Joe Petta.
Police sources said it appeared Kahn may have
been drunk when he fell.
But Kahn's family insisted that he did not drink
and said the site was not well marked. The family
attorney says a lawsuit is under consideration.
"To have something like this open when there are
a lot of older people in the area is really
negligent," said attorney Stephanie
Ovadia-Deodene.
DOWN CON ED HOLE
By KIERAN CROWLEY and WYNNE PARRY
Last Updated: 5:00 AM, April 22, 2007
Posted: 5:00 AM, April 22, 2007
A retired Queens pharmacist died yesterday from
injuries he suffered in a freak fall into a
15-foot-deep construction pit at a Con Ed site in
Forest Hills, authorities said.
Darryl Kahn, 64, died from head injuries at
Jamaica Hospital at 2:45 p.m., a day after he
accidentally tumbled into the pit where Con Ed
workers were replacing a transformer, police
and officials at the utility said.
Kahn had been returning to his home from a
nearby Off-Track Betting parlor at 5:15 p.m.
Friday when he approached the construction site
at 70th Road and Queens Boulevard, his family
said.
Exactly how he fell into the hole was unclear.
Con Ed workers told police they had warned
Kahn to stay away from the clearly marked and
barricaded construction zone but he didn't
listen.
"We don't know why this pedestrian squeezed
into the area and how he fell . . . but he was in
an area he shouldn't have been," said Con Ed
spokesman Joe Petta.
Police sources said it appeared Kahn may have
been drunk when he fell.
But Kahn's family insisted that he did not drink
and said the site was not well marked. The family
attorney says a lawsuit is under consideration.
"To have something like this open when there are
a lot of older people in the area is really
negligent," said attorney Stephanie
Ovadia-Deodene.
BABY SCALD PROBE - BURNED
IN BATH
KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated:
Posted: 12:00 AM, June 26, 2006
Authorities are probing the near-fatal scalding
of an 11-month-old boy in a Queens foster home,
The Post has learned.
Joey Stanley received horrifying second- and
third-degree burns over 25 percent of his body
in a June 6 incident at the Hollis home of foster
mother Anita Nurse, 46, a civilian employee of the
NYPD, sources said.
The child was burned while being bathed by "an
older foster child, who plunged Joey into the
sink, while Ms. Nurse was either asleep or away,"
said Jeffrey Lisabeth, the lawyer for Joey's
biological parents, Joseph and Aphrodite
Stanley.
"Nurse works at night and sleeps during the day.
The city did not adequately investigate the
background of this foster mother," Lisabeth
said.
"This is as bad as it gets," added their other
attorney, Stephanie Ovadia. "I've never seen
anything like this in 20 years practicing law."
The parents plan to file today a
multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the city,
claiming negligence and incompetence led to the
life-threatening injuries.
"We are investigating," said city Administration
for Children's Services spokeswoman Sharmin
Stein, who declined to confirm that several
young foster children were removed from the
home after the incident.
Lisabeth said Joey and his 2-year-old sister were
placed in foster care last December after the
ACS determined that the Stanleys had
"inadequate housing."
The Stanleys said they always found their kids
dirty, unkempt and sick during supervised visits
to Nurse's home. When they complained, she
displayed a violent temper that alarmed them, the
couple claim.
Joseph Stanley, 21, said he complained for
months that he was "completely appalled" about
the foster care. He said ACS, Family Court and
the Salvation Army "ignored us."
Mrs. Stanley, 22, sobbed as she described the
injuries to her son's hips, buttocks, thighs, foot
and genitals.
"He's in terrible pain," she said. "When he goes to
the bathroom, he screams at the top of his
lungs."
Nurse, reached at her home, refused to comment.
An NYPD officer at the 103rd Precinct
stationhouse in Jamaica said detectives
determined the scalding was an accident.
The baby is undergoing transfusions and skin
grafts at the Burn Unit at Nassau University
Medical Center in East Meadow.
City officials say the couple never expressed any
concerns for their son's safety before the
accident.
"There is absolutely nothing in our records that
mentions any concerns by these parents about
the safety in the foster home," said Stein, the
ACS spokeswoman.
IN BATH
KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated:
Posted: 12:00 AM, June 26, 2006
Authorities are probing the near-fatal scalding
of an 11-month-old boy in a Queens foster home,
The Post has learned.
Joey Stanley received horrifying second- and
third-degree burns over 25 percent of his body
in a June 6 incident at the Hollis home of foster
mother Anita Nurse, 46, a civilian employee of the
NYPD, sources said.
The child was burned while being bathed by "an
older foster child, who plunged Joey into the
sink, while Ms. Nurse was either asleep or away,"
said Jeffrey Lisabeth, the lawyer for Joey's
biological parents, Joseph and Aphrodite
Stanley.
"Nurse works at night and sleeps during the day.
The city did not adequately investigate the
background of this foster mother," Lisabeth
said.
"This is as bad as it gets," added their other
attorney, Stephanie Ovadia. "I've never seen
anything like this in 20 years practicing law."
The parents plan to file today a
multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the city,
claiming negligence and incompetence led to the
life-threatening injuries.
"We are investigating," said city Administration
for Children's Services spokeswoman Sharmin
Stein, who declined to confirm that several
young foster children were removed from the
home after the incident.
Lisabeth said Joey and his 2-year-old sister were
placed in foster care last December after the
ACS determined that the Stanleys had
"inadequate housing."
The Stanleys said they always found their kids
dirty, unkempt and sick during supervised visits
to Nurse's home. When they complained, she
displayed a violent temper that alarmed them, the
couple claim.
Joseph Stanley, 21, said he complained for
months that he was "completely appalled" about
the foster care. He said ACS, Family Court and
the Salvation Army "ignored us."
Mrs. Stanley, 22, sobbed as she described the
injuries to her son's hips, buttocks, thighs, foot
and genitals.
"He's in terrible pain," she said. "When he goes to
the bathroom, he screams at the top of his
lungs."
Nurse, reached at her home, refused to comment.
An NYPD officer at the 103rd Precinct
stationhouse in Jamaica said detectives
determined the scalding was an accident.
The baby is undergoing transfusions and skin
grafts at the Burn Unit at Nassau University
Medical Center in East Meadow.
City officials say the couple never expressed any
concerns for their son's safety before the
accident.
"There is absolutely nothing in our records that
mentions any concerns by these parents about
the safety in the foster home," said Stein, the
ACS spokeswoman.
'MUNCH' BREAK - GANG GOT
FANG-FIEND VAMPIRE OFF ME:
VICTIM
TOM LIDDY, KIERAN CROWLEY and DAVID
ANDREATTA
Last Updated:
Posted: 12:00 AM, May 2, 2006
Another shaken victim of the teen vampire of
Queens yesterday told The Post how her fanged
attacker ripped a bloody chunk from her cheek -
and that it took a pack of rescuers to pry the
crazed student off her.
"She got a hold of my left cheek with her teeth,
and I thought she was going to let go, but she
stayed on it," said Cynthia LaFortune, 16, of the
alleged attack against her by a seething, "scary
looking" classmate on a city bus last December.
"That's when a lot of people started pulling her.
But I told them not to, because when they were
pulling her, she was pulling my cheek.
"She was holding onto my skin for at least one
minute. [Afterward], my friend said, 'Look what
she did to your face!' "
LaFortune, a pretty varsity basketball player at
Hillcrest HS in Jamaica, is one of at least three
students at the school who claim that their
15-year-old assailant - described as a self-styled
"goth" vampire - went for their throats.
In court papers suing the school over the series
of bizarre bloodlettings, Lafortune swears
under oath that the brooding student "had
known vicious propensities."
After a minor bumping incident in the hallway, the
vampiress "stalked her . . . onto the bus," said
Lafortune's lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia.
After first stabbing LaFortune with a metal
comb, her attacker "locked her jaws [on her]
almost like a pit bull. It took five people to pull
her off," Ovadia said.
LaFortune said her face immediately swelled and
developed blood clots. "I don't think I could
have cried because my cheek was hurting so
badly," she said.
She said she eventually told her mom what
happened when one of the friends who helped
rescue her on the bus, Michelle Melendez, was
attacked by the same girl two days later in
retaliation for going to LaFortune's aid.
Melendez filed a report on her own attack with
cops, who busted the girl but have not identified
her because of her age.
LaFortune said that after her assault, the
in-your-face vampire teen called her house to
apologize.
"I didn't believe her, but as a Christian, you're
supposed to forgive people," LaFortune said.
Ovadia has already filed a notice of claim to sue
the city and said she will today file the
multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the city, the
school and the parents of the alleged vampire.
LaFortune said her mom reported the attack
promptly to the school but nothing was done.
LaFortune said she personally told a school
dean what happened but he "said it didn't take
place in the school, so he couldn't do anything
about it."
School officials said the incidents were not
reported to them until weeks after they
occurred.
And "when they did, they did not say anything
about having been bitten and did not name the
attacker," said Board of Education
spokeswoman Marge Feinberg.
"That's not true," said Daniel Melendez,
Michelle's dad.
He said the family reported her assault to the
school and police the day after her Dec. 15
attack - and that his daughter identified the
assailant in a student ID photo.
FANG-FIEND VAMPIRE OFF ME:
VICTIM
TOM LIDDY, KIERAN CROWLEY and DAVID
ANDREATTA
Last Updated:
Posted: 12:00 AM, May 2, 2006
Another shaken victim of the teen vampire of
Queens yesterday told The Post how her fanged
attacker ripped a bloody chunk from her cheek -
and that it took a pack of rescuers to pry the
crazed student off her.
"She got a hold of my left cheek with her teeth,
and I thought she was going to let go, but she
stayed on it," said Cynthia LaFortune, 16, of the
alleged attack against her by a seething, "scary
looking" classmate on a city bus last December.
"That's when a lot of people started pulling her.
But I told them not to, because when they were
pulling her, she was pulling my cheek.
"She was holding onto my skin for at least one
minute. [Afterward], my friend said, 'Look what
she did to your face!' "
LaFortune, a pretty varsity basketball player at
Hillcrest HS in Jamaica, is one of at least three
students at the school who claim that their
15-year-old assailant - described as a self-styled
"goth" vampire - went for their throats.
In court papers suing the school over the series
of bizarre bloodlettings, Lafortune swears
under oath that the brooding student "had
known vicious propensities."
After a minor bumping incident in the hallway, the
vampiress "stalked her . . . onto the bus," said
Lafortune's lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia.
After first stabbing LaFortune with a metal
comb, her attacker "locked her jaws [on her]
almost like a pit bull. It took five people to pull
her off," Ovadia said.
LaFortune said her face immediately swelled and
developed blood clots. "I don't think I could
have cried because my cheek was hurting so
badly," she said.
She said she eventually told her mom what
happened when one of the friends who helped
rescue her on the bus, Michelle Melendez, was
attacked by the same girl two days later in
retaliation for going to LaFortune's aid.
Melendez filed a report on her own attack with
cops, who busted the girl but have not identified
her because of her age.
LaFortune said that after her assault, the
in-your-face vampire teen called her house to
apologize.
"I didn't believe her, but as a Christian, you're
supposed to forgive people," LaFortune said.
Ovadia has already filed a notice of claim to sue
the city and said she will today file the
multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the city, the
school and the parents of the alleged vampire.
LaFortune said her mom reported the attack
promptly to the school but nothing was done.
LaFortune said she personally told a school
dean what happened but he "said it didn't take
place in the school, so he couldn't do anything
about it."
School officials said the incidents were not
reported to them until weeks after they
occurred.
And "when they did, they did not say anything
about having been bitten and did not name the
attacker," said Board of Education
spokeswoman Marge Feinberg.
"That's not true," said Daniel Melendez,
Michelle's dad.
He said the family reported her assault to the
school and police the day after her Dec. 15
attack - and that his daughter identified the
assailant in a student ID photo.