Glorious Gloria Allred: On Lohan-Holland, Christy Martin, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and More
It was recently reported that Lindsay Lohan had a run-in with a Betty Ford Center employee. The employee claimed Ms. Lohan committed battery against her and wanted to press charges for an alleged December 12th incident. The Betty Ford employee, Dawn Holland, spoke with TMZ after speaking with police. Last week, Ms. Holland decided not to press charges after all.
In light of this, CYInterview welcomes back powerhouse attorney Gloria Allred to help sort this all out.
Listen to the Gloria Allred CYInterview:
(Backup Player: Including IE)
The police are continuing an investigation regarding whether Lindsay violated her probation, even though Ms. Holland has refused to cooperate. Ms. Allred tells us the only way the now reportedly terminated Betty Ford employee might be compelled to speak is if she is subpoenaed. If that were the case, the ex-employee would have to reveal whether or not TMZ paid her to speak with them. Additionally, Ms. Allred wonders why Ms. Holland changed her mind.
“The only way that she is required to cooperate and to say what happened is if in fact she is subpoenaed. The only way she’s going to be subpoenaed is if there is some kind of legal proceeding, that is if the District Attorney decides to prosecute Ms. Lohan. Other than that, she’s not going to be required to testify or to appear to testify…The question is, why would she make the allegation and then change her mind? Well, the reports are and I don’t know if they’re true, but the reports are that she did sell her story to TMZ for a substantial amount of money, thousands of dollars. And of course that would have to come out if she were called to testify in the criminal case or in fact in a civil case involving Ms. Lohan or even in a civil case involving the Betty Ford Center if she sued them.”
Gloria continued by telling us Ms. Holland might have some legal issues to deal with regarding this situation, potentially subjecting her to the possibility of civil and or criminal liability.
“That is a problem for her and her credibility. It doesn’t mean she’s not telling the truth, but she would be very much attacked for having done that. Also, the Betty Ford Center of course is alleging that she violated patient confidentiality and if in fact that were the case, if she did, then that’s possibly something they could subject her to civil and or criminal liability. So that may be the reason that she doesn’t want to speak. I don’t know and I don’t know that she has done anything wrong, but it’s a problem. Yes, if she was battered or the victim of battery, she can report it to the police. It’s not the same as telling her story to the public through TMZ and being paid for it if in fact that’s what happened.”
The question, moving forward, is how likely is it for authorities to charge Lindsay with violating her probation again, if Ms. Holland does not cooperate? Gloria believes it would be unusual for a referral from the prosecution, but she says it is possible Holland could be called to testify in a probation violation hearing of Lohan. Perhaps, Holland and Lohan have not seen the last of each other. That said, attorney Allred believes Dawn Holland’s situation is problematic.
“If the victim of the alleged crime does not wish to cooperate, then generally there’s not gonna be a referral for the prosecution in the case. The exception of that would be if there’s a domestic violence incident…But this would be unusual. She could, however, be called to testify for example at a probation violation hearing if someone decided that they thought there was sufficient evidence of a probation violation…So it would be Lohan’s word against Holland’s word and the fact that Holland has sold her story, if she has done that, is gonna be I think something that’s gonna be attacked as bias and it would have an impact on her credibility potentially. So I think that, not for the better. So I think that’s a problem. She’s gotten herself kind of into a legal mess.”
Gloria closes discussion on Dawn Holland by revealing what legal advice she wouldn’t have recommended to her. Allred states she would not have suggested Holland sell her story to TMZ, if that is what she did, because it would make things more difficult for Dawn going forward, assuming she wants to sue the Betty Ford Center.
“Had I been this person’s attorney, Ms. Holland, I definitely would not have recommended that she go to the police and sell her story to TMZ, if in fact that’s what she did and especially if she’s contemplating suing the Betty Ford Center. I mean, this would not have been my legal advice. However, she may receive different legal advice from her attorney, but that’s not the way I would’ve handled it.”
On another front, this past week in Orlando, Florida, Ms. Allred attended a bond hearing for the husband of famed female boxer Christy Martin. Her husband James Martin is charged with attempted first degree murder with a firearm, attempted first-degree murder with a weapon and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm with a weapon. These chargers were filled on behalf of Ms. Martin, the alleged victim in this case. Gloria is representing Christy. She finds her story to be remarkable considering that even with a bullet lodged her in back, and with all of her recent trauma, the female boxing champion is focused on getting back to training for what might become Martin’s 50th boxing win.
“She has suffered greatly because of what she had to endure on November 23rd of this year. She had three serious stab wounds, a punctured lung, other injuries, she still has a bullet in her back… Even though she has a bullet in her back, she wants to fight and win her 50th fight and she’s begun to walk again, she’s hoping that her doctor will clear her to train and workout in hopes that she’ll get her next fight and her 50th win and she feels she can do it even with a bullet still lodged in her back. The fact that she’s determined to achieve that 50th win in a fight under these circumstances I find to be truly remarkable and truly inspiring.”
It would not be a proper interview with the outspoken Ms. Allred without asking a few current events questions.
What were her thoughts on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” being repealed?
“The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is long overdue just like marriage equality is long overdue for people who are gay and lesbian…They can be considered first class in every way in the military and I do think it will have a ripple effect in the overall society that gays and lesbians are going to be treated with respect and with dignity. I thought Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was just preposterous in the first place…It just was wrong and a violation of civil rights in every way one can think of. So I’m glad it’s finally been repealed and I’m glad that politicians finally had the courage to do it.”
So with the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” where are we on the Equal Rights Amendment? Gloria says the women’s organizations need to rally like the gay organizations have on DADT to get this legislation though.
“One of two things has to happen, the Congress has to send it around to the states again or they could decide that the time limit that was previously set is no longer effective and then we would only need a few more states to ratify, but we need momentum to build for the Equal Rights Amendment. Until we start having a big push for the Equal Rights Amendment once again from the women’s right organizations, we’re not gonna have it. That’s what we need.”
Allred appeared on Larry King Live numerous times. She believes Larry was forced out and did not choose to retire from his nightly post at CNN.
“Larry King had a good run for 25 years. It appears that he didn’t really want to go, but that CNN needed him to go because of the ratings and that’s just the harsh reality that people don’t want to say because if he had been doing very well in the ratings, then they would’ve kept him if he wanted to stay. He hasn’t anywhere said that he wanted to go even though he says it will give him more time I guess to spend time with his family and apparently he’s still gonna do four specials a year. Apparently this is what has happened at CNN. He had his run for 25 years. It was a good one and now they’re bringing in someone. I’m sure they’re gonna hope that Piers Morgan is gonna improve the ratings for CNN.”
We leave our last 2010 conversation with Gloria asking her if she is making any New Year’s Resolutions?
“My only New Year’s Resolutions would be to not make any New Years Resolutions because generally they’re not any resolutions that are going to be followed, at least by me. Just to continue to fight for equality each and every day that I’m alive and if it’s possible to do it from the great hereafter if there is one. I’d like to be able to do it from there as well.”
You can find more information about Gloria Allred at http://www.amglaw.com and http://www.gloriaallred.com/
2 Replies to “Glorious Gloria Allred: On Lohan-Holland, Christy Martin, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and More”
Comments are closed.