Free Republic

LOS ANGELES - Film director Lee Tamahori pleaded no contest to criminal trespass in return for two prostitution charges against him being dropped, authorities said Thursday. The plea deal stemmed from Tamahori's Jan. 8 arrest for allegedly soliciting an undercover police officer in Hollywood and offering to perform a sex act for money. The two dropped charges, said city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan, were misdemeanor counts of solicitation and loitering with the intent to commit prostitution. Tamahori, who was not present at the hearing in Superior Court, was placed on three years probation, ordered to attend an AIDS education course...

A judge has revoked the bond of Larry Towns, the former head of the Elkhart County Drug Task Force, because he failed to show up for a hearing. Towns was indicted in May on 13 counts, including felony theft and misdemeanor charges of official misconduct and criminal conversion. He was to have appeared at a hearing on Friday. Towns is accused of stealing a gun, drugs and $9,000 while he was head of the task force. He is also accused of failing to turn over records to his successor in a timely manner. Towns took the job in 1999, when...