TMZ founder says rights violated by police http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2009/10/20/tmz-probe.html
The founder of celebrity gossip website TMZ.com is angry over a Los Angeles police investigation that involved a scan of his personal phone records. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department looked at the records in connection with a probe into who leaked a 2006 report on Mel Gibson's drunk-driving arrest to the website. Harvey Levin is promising a fight against police, saying his phone records were illegally obtained. In a speech Monday night to the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California, he said he believes the department violated his rights. He termed the probe an assault on the First Amendment. "It breaks federal law. It breaks state law," Levin said. "It's outrageous. We've met with lawyers and are charting our course of action. This is not going to go away." Levin said he is consulting with his attorney about legal action. Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said Levin's phone records were obtained legally. Both a judge and the district attorney's office signed off on the investigation, he said. "This was not about him," Whitmore said. "This was about looking at the unauthorized release of documents." No one was charged in the sheriff's probe into who told TMZ.com about Gibson's arrest and the anti-Semitic tirade he made to an arresting officer. Deputy James Mee, who arrested Gibson, was under investigation and the records showed calls between Levin and Mee's home. However, prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Gibson was given three years probation, fined $1,400 US and ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings after his drunk driving conviction. Earlier this month, a judge wiped out his conviction after he carried out the terms of his probation. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
