Double-barrelled Mega-PING! to both lists! If you want on, FReepmail me!
Posted on 01/06/2005 8:06:44 AM PST by hoosierboy
Actor Wesley Snipes denies being the father of a child belonging to a Michigan City woman, who claims she met the action film star at a crack house in Chicago.
And, in a court complaint calling the mother "a mentally ill former crack addict" who made claims about other celebrities, the lead actor in "Blade" and other major box office hits feels it's ludicrous that authorities in LaPorte County and elsewhere want a sample of his DNA to verify or disprove the claims.
Snipes is suing LaPorte County Prosecutor Rob Beckman and his wife, Priscilla Jo, who runs the child support division of the prosecutor's office.
Among the other defendants named in the federal lawsuit are the city and county of New York and the Family Law Court of New York, which are working cooperatively with the LaPorte County prosecutor's office in seeking Snipes' arrest for refusing to cooperate in the investigation of the paternity claims.
In response to the lawsuit, Beckman said, he was prohibited by law from commenting about any matters involving child support.
"I'm not going to talk about it. I just can't do it," Beckman said.
According to the lawsuit filed Dec. 20 in U.S. District Court of New York, Snipes alleges violations of his constitutional rights under the First, Fourth and 14th amendments that include protection against unreasonable search and seizures.
Specifically, it's alleged that Beckman's office and authorities in New York took legal action to force Snipes into providing a DNA sample and financial information for child support without just cause.
Snipes' lawsuit states that in her petition for support, Lanise Pettis said the child was conceived in 2001 after she and Snipes met each other the year before at a crack house in Chicago.
In the lawsuit, attorneys for Snipes characterize Pettis as mentally ill and who's experienced delusions in the past, not only about Snipes but Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Prince and other celebrities.
Her claims include "secret relationships" with Jordan and actor Denzel Washington and that other men she slept with actually were Snipes in disguise, according to arguments contained in the Snipes' lawsuit.
Her alleged history raises serious doubt about the validity of her claims that Snipes is the father, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, authorities from LaPorte County and New York failed to seek all relevant and necessary information from all sources, including "many of the other men likely to be the father" to make sure the claims by Pettis were credible before securing the order for Snipes to provide DNA and take part in other procedures as they relate to paternity and child support.
The lawsuit also alleges that authorities in New York should not even be involved in the matter because Snipes is a resident of Florida and has only limited business dealings in New York.
The lawsuit seeks that all action taken against Snipes related to the paternity claim, including the arrest warrant and order for DNA, be nullified.
Unspecified damages are also being sought.
His attorneys, Robert Bernhoft of Milwaukee and Joshua Dratel of New York City, could not be reached for comment.
Also named as a defendant is LaPorte County.
But, LaPorte County Attorney Shaw Friedman said, the prosecutor's office is a branch of state government and action will be filed to remove the county from the lawsuit.
"The county in no way supervises the activities of the prosecutor's office," Friedman said.
Crackhouse in Chicago?
Chances are that Jesse is the real father.
She should have accused Marion Berry. He might have paid up not knowing wether it happened or not. "Those daze be fuzzy to me".
This is like the Bush rape accusation. Total loony making unsupported claims. He shouldn't even be bothered by this.
What I found, I didn't like.I talked to her family, her former boyfriend, and I ultimately interviewed her. As it turns out, Lanise Pettis wasn't lying.
Lanise Pettis (Born in 1971) wasn't lying about Wesley Snipes being her cousin, and the father of Israel Pettis. Although the prosecutors didn't see fit to bring it up for obvious reasons, she didn't lie when she told me about her belief that they actually have nine children together, one of whom is the actor Brandon Hammond (Born 1984), and another -- the super model, Tyra Banks (Born 1973).
When Ms. Pettis explains that Wesley Snipes secretly married her many years ago when she was little more than a child, she believes it, and when she talks about the government agents who arrived in black helicopters, and demanded that they never mention the marriage, she isn't lying about that either.
Likewise with the others -- Wesley Snipes does not define the limits of her celeb relationships. She told us about Denzel Washington, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Prince . . . and she even talks about partying with President Clinton. He's her cousin too!
Lanise Pettis isn't lying, she has no evil motive, this isn't about money or stealing 15 minutes of fame at someone else's expense - she is just profoundly delusional.
I found myself wondering, "How sloppy, how inept - how remarkably gullible would the LaPorte Prosecutors Office have to be to go forward with a case based on this?"
Wow great find, by the way the prosecutor here in Michigan city is a rat in a rat county that went for kerry in the election.
Double-barrelled Mega-PING! to both lists! If you want on, FReepmail me!
I meet the nicest people at my local crack house.
OK. Let those who follow up ludicrous accusations with instant legal nightmares prior to any kind of investigation put their jobs on the line.
Make that kind of inexcuseable mistake and pay the consequences...
Maybe she is just looking for publicity so she can get on the cover of Crack Whore magazine.
Like cartmans mom.
Even if it WAS last month's issue.
It doesn't sound like she's trying to extort anything. It sounds like she's delusional. And it sounds like Rob Beckman is a publicity-seeking disgrace of a prosecutor who is acting on her claim solely to nail a celeb.
or Marion Barry
"It doesn't sound like she's trying to extort anything. It sounds like she's delusional. And it sounds like Rob Beckman is a publicity-seeking disgrace of a prosecutor who is acting on her claim solely to nail a celeb."
Bingo was his name-o. That's what I see happening.
I wonder how much crack he smoked to get into this kind of shape.
I'm glad to see him going after the prosecutor as well.
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Oh, good law. I think I'll just go public and admit that Bill Gates is my father. I'm sure my Dad wouldn't want to see me living so far below his standards. Or at least the court wouldn't.
I have a serious problem with this. Snipes is right to be outraged.
They compelled him to give DNA based on these flimsy accusations? Shoot, flimsy doesn't even begin to describe it.
If they can get court orders and take your DNA based on stuff such as this, that's scary. He should fight it every step of the way, and I am glad he is exposing this. Most celebrities want it to remain quiet.
I'm much more outraged by the prosecutor's actions than those of the drug addict. I mean, how was she to know people would believe her? LOL
bttt
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