Legal Mumbo
Jumbo
Little Big Theft
Award-winning band Little Big
Town’s bus trailer was stolen by
thieves, who no doubt expected
they were getting a rich collection
of instruments and costly musical
items. An Aug. 2 band posting
on Instagram revealed quite the
opposite: “To the guys that stole
our trailer - guess you thought you
were getting vintage guitars and
amps - instead, you got two old kid
bikes, a scooter, a baby pool and
a Unicorn float. Karma’s a funny
thing.” (LBT members are Phillip
Sweet, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly
Schlapman and Jimi Westbrook.)
An Aug. 5 news report brought
us up-to-date, as the law caught
up to the band of thieves, Aug.
5, also retrieving a $70,000 boat
stolen in Ashland City. Cheatham
County Sheriff’s investigators got
a tip the ring’s suspected leader
Denver Taylor liked lunching at
McDonald’s, only this time was
met by the law, but managed a
fast getaway, along with suspected
cohorts Ray Garrett IV and
Brittany Hamlin in a truck, also
stolen. Assisted by area police
departments, the long arm of the
law tracked the trio to Mount Juliet,
miles down the Interstate - not in
the “Boondocks” - to make arrests.
Can you believe this PR nightmare that MGM Resorts International
has created for itself? It seems their lawyers have filed suit against
hundreds of victims of the dastardly Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting
spree by Stephen Paddock from the 32nd floor of their Mandalay
Bay Hotel, overlooking the Rt. 91 Harvest Festival, claiming the
lives of 58 fans, injuring another 852, amongst some 22,000
frightened fans attending the country event! Paddock died, too,
of a self-inflicted shot. It is now recorded as the deadliest mass
shooting in U.S. history. The legal beagles’ subsequent lawsuit
proclaims MGM has “no liability of any kind,” despite being owners
of the casino-resort from which Paddock committed his carnage.
MGM spokesperson Debra DeShong issued this statement, after
insisting any litigation filed against them “must be dismissed” post
haste: “The unforeseeable events of Oct. 1 affected thousands of
people in Las Vegas and throughout North America. From the day
of this tragedy, we have focused on the recovery of those impacted
by the despicable act of one evil individual.” (Amazing!) As Carl
Tobias, a Richmond School of Law professor in Virginia rightly
retorted to their corporate cheekiness, “Even if MGM is successful
(legally), that may not outweigh the adverse publicity.”
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
In another Interstate drama elsewhere, singer
Granger Smith’s tractor-trailer, hauling the
troupe’s instruments and stage gear crashed,
while trying to maneuver heavy fog in the
winding, treacherous terrain of mountainous
West Virginia. Smith posted a picture of
the heavy-duty vehicle turned over on the
Interstate. Thankful no other vehicle was involved, the artist stated:
“We’ve had a hell of a morning. No one was hurt, and my driver
Charlie climbed out without a scratch,” adding, “We lost gear, but
all that can be replaced. Grateful for my road brothers, and thankful
for another day.” Despite the mishap, the players gave an on-time
smashing show for Baltimore fans, Aug. 11, appropriately including
his hit Backroad Song. Granger even joked online that the guitars
rescued from the damaged truck were still in tune.
Campbell’s
Cash
A three-page court ruling issued by Davidson County Probate Judge David Randy
Kennedy has just granted three adult children of the late singer Glen Campbell legal
standing to contest two wills that cut them off from inheritances by their father. Travis,
Kelli and Wesley Campbell, children of his earlier marriages, had petitioned the court
for legal rights to determine the singer’s health and mental capacity to create the wills,
and whether he may have been subject to undue influence. Prior to his 2017 passing,
Campbell had suffered from Alzheimer’s and dementia for several years. His widow
Kimberly Campbell had been named as estate executor. The last will, filed in 2006, named
Kimberly and five children as beneficiaries. A fourth child, daughter Debbie Cloyd, has
also questioned the actions of Campbell’s former publicist Stan Schneider, who was
appointed temporary administrator of the artist’s estate. She seeks to have Schneider
submit a full accounting of financial transactions made from the estate and Campbell’s
music royalties. (Stay tuned)
SEPTEMBER 2018 - cmp 5