Post by Sugarmama on Nov 15, 2007 5:18:02 GMT -5
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Judge tosses out Kid Rock's lawsuit
Oakland Co. judge fed up with rocker's excuses for not showing up in court; he is in default on countersuit.
Mike Martindale / The Detroit News
PONTIAC -- In recent months, recording artist Kid Rock has been splitting his time between promoting his new "Rock N Roll Jesus" CD and brawls in Las Vegas and Atlanta.
But the one place the notoriously hard-partying singer -- real name Robert J. Ritchie -- has been a repeated no-show is back home in Oakland County, where he has avoided a court-ordered deposition over a lawsuit he filed in March against a Novi woman he said embarrassed and defamed him in a police report.
On Wednesday, fed up with excuses and delays, Oakland Circuit Judge Shalina Kumar tossed out the rocker's lawsuit and found him in default on Kelly Ann Kozlowski's countersuit, which claims Kid Rock roughed her up outside his Clarkston recording studio March 8 and pushed her into a snowbank when she wouldn't spend the night.
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"What's special about him? Why does he get to violate a court's order?" Kumar asked Kid Rock's attorney, William Horton, on Wednesday after learning Kid Rock failed to show up for a deposition that she ordered done by the end of October.
Horton said there had been schedule conflicts for the touring singer and noted he had proposed alternative November dates. Unsatisfied, Kumar dismissed Kid Rock's lawsuit and entered a default against him in Kozlowski's complaint, which seeks a still-to-be-determined amount of more than $25,000 in damages.
The ruling means barring a possible appeal and reversal of Kumar's decision, Kid Rock will be unable to contest Kozlowski's lawsuit at a Feb. 5 trial date.
Kozlowski's attorneys, brothers Drew S. Norton and Scott D. Norton, celebrated with high-five hand slaps outside court after the ruling and said the decision means liability is no issue in their civil case. All that remains to be determined by a jury in February will be how much Kozlowski is entitled to in damages. She alleges assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation.
"He (Kid Rock) likes publicity. He told Larry King all publicity is good publicity," said Scott Norton. "Our expert witness will tell how our client has been devastated by this and the resulting publicity."
The March 8 studio incident was investigated by deputies, but there were inconsistencies in witness statements and insufficient evidence to charge any offense. Kid Rock, 36, and others present said Kozlowski, 28, was forced to leave the house after she became rude and belligerent.
The Nortons claim Kid Rock sued their client as one of the publicity stunts designed to promote his CD.
You can reach Mike Martindale at (248) 647-7226 or mmartindale@detnews.com.
Judge tosses out Kid Rock's lawsuit
Oakland Co. judge fed up with rocker's excuses for not showing up in court; he is in default on countersuit.
Mike Martindale / The Detroit News
PONTIAC -- In recent months, recording artist Kid Rock has been splitting his time between promoting his new "Rock N Roll Jesus" CD and brawls in Las Vegas and Atlanta.
But the one place the notoriously hard-partying singer -- real name Robert J. Ritchie -- has been a repeated no-show is back home in Oakland County, where he has avoided a court-ordered deposition over a lawsuit he filed in March against a Novi woman he said embarrassed and defamed him in a police report.
On Wednesday, fed up with excuses and delays, Oakland Circuit Judge Shalina Kumar tossed out the rocker's lawsuit and found him in default on Kelly Ann Kozlowski's countersuit, which claims Kid Rock roughed her up outside his Clarkston recording studio March 8 and pushed her into a snowbank when she wouldn't spend the night.
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"What's special about him? Why does he get to violate a court's order?" Kumar asked Kid Rock's attorney, William Horton, on Wednesday after learning Kid Rock failed to show up for a deposition that she ordered done by the end of October.
Horton said there had been schedule conflicts for the touring singer and noted he had proposed alternative November dates. Unsatisfied, Kumar dismissed Kid Rock's lawsuit and entered a default against him in Kozlowski's complaint, which seeks a still-to-be-determined amount of more than $25,000 in damages.
The ruling means barring a possible appeal and reversal of Kumar's decision, Kid Rock will be unable to contest Kozlowski's lawsuit at a Feb. 5 trial date.
Kozlowski's attorneys, brothers Drew S. Norton and Scott D. Norton, celebrated with high-five hand slaps outside court after the ruling and said the decision means liability is no issue in their civil case. All that remains to be determined by a jury in February will be how much Kozlowski is entitled to in damages. She alleges assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation.
"He (Kid Rock) likes publicity. He told Larry King all publicity is good publicity," said Scott Norton. "Our expert witness will tell how our client has been devastated by this and the resulting publicity."
The March 8 studio incident was investigated by deputies, but there were inconsistencies in witness statements and insufficient evidence to charge any offense. Kid Rock, 36, and others present said Kozlowski, 28, was forced to leave the house after she became rude and belligerent.
The Nortons claim Kid Rock sued their client as one of the publicity stunts designed to promote his CD.
You can reach Mike Martindale at (248) 647-7226 or mmartindale@detnews.com.
