[Veritas]

The Loyal Community > General Discussion > We went to church with Criss...
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Candigirl: Last Sunday me and my bff Kris Lee went to Holy Trinity Church (the one they werre going ot tear down) to mass and we saw Criss and his mother and brothers. We met Criss at the tree where mama Angel chained herself up to protest, and he let us sit with him--stand really cause we stood for most of the time we were there. Anyway, mama Angel kept us apart cause she didn'[t want us fl;irting with him during church. Kris Lee got some pix on her cell phone. It was really awesome, and the flowers were so pretty Kris Lee said it was like a wedding.
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Magile: AWESOME PIX! and they were gonna tear it down? No wonder Mama Angel fought so hard to save it!

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RUReady15: I wish it was MY wedding for real!
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vampprincess: Im not really into church, but i am happy for Dimitra that she saved it. It really means a lot to her, so we should give her our support.
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Greekgoddess: ^^ Amen. Go Dimitra!
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The Loyal Community > General Discussion > Criss charged with assault?__________________________________________________ _____________

LoyalCat: I read in the paper that Criss was charged with assault by the CEO of SilverStar Enterprises for saying he'd punch her lights out because she got his mother arrested because she was protesting the destruction of that church she liked. It was just after the tiral and Criss and Monique Wesley were talking and Criss said he'd like to punch her lights out for it. Now he's being charged with assault. He just said he was going to, he didn't really do it.
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Greekgoddess: He didn't say he was going to punch her lights out, he said he wished she was a man so he could. Criss would never NEVER hit a woman!
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vampprincess: I know he didn't mean it that way, but still he should be careful what he says. He could get into a lot of troble this way.
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KrisLee: I'd punch her lights out for Criss! NO ONE messes with Mama Dimitra and gets a Way with it!
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Magile: I agree with greekgoddess--Criss would never hit a woman. His mother raised him to respect women, i knwo she did. We're with Criss all the way.,
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The board of directors for SilverStar Enterprises sat around the large glass-covered table in the executive meeting room, staring at their slim, dark-haired CEO in the oversized leather chair, grim as a criminal jury. Monique stared back, refusing to be intimidated by these overpaid corporate types in their Brooks Brothers' suits and thinning hairlines. She had fought for years to get to their level, hammering away at the glass ceiling until she finally broke through and made her way to the top. She did not let them cow her into submission then, and double damn if she'd let them now.

Edgar Craczhbarten, Chief Executive in charge of something or other that Monique could not recall at the moment, spoke up first. "Ever since that Grand Imperial debacle, we've been losing a lot of clients, not to mention shares in the stock market. No one wants anything to do with a company that had threatened to turn out ordinary citizens onto the streets to build a hotel! This whole business has given this company a black eye--it'll be years before we can restore our reputation!"

"SilverStar has excellent prospects!" Monique protested. "If we all pull together, we can put this whole thing behind us. We can start a new project somewhere else! Hell, I'll even throw a charity ball if it'll help us! I got plans, gentlemen, plans that'll put us on top again!"

Craczhbarten adjusted his eyeglasses. "All your grandiose plans will not help matters; we think you've done enough damage, Monique. Therefore, we, the board of directors, are calling for your resignation as CEO of SilverStar Enterprises."

Monique stared dumbfounded at the assembled board. "You can't do this to me!"

"We can," Craczhbarten said calmly, "and we have. You can resign effective noon tomorrow, or we can vote you out. You'll save more face if you choose the former."

Monique could only sit there, her mouth hanging open in shock. All those years of struggling, working from dawn to dusk and then some, negotiating contracts until she was hoarse, oozing charm for perfect strangers to earn their business, going above and beyond the call of duty (not to mention the law) to cut deals with the movers and shakers of Corporate America--gone, just like that, and all because of one little mistake.

Criss Angel. It was all his fault, she reasoned. He dragged her name through the mud because his precious mother couldn't mind her own business. If she had just stayed home or wherever and stuck to playing bingo or whatever she did to occupy her time and let her, Monique, get on with the Grand Imperial project, none of this would have happened. Now here she was, her head on the chopping block, because of some busybody old lady who took it upon herself to fight progress. The hell of it was, she had won in court.

Well, she may have had won the battle, Monique thought, but she hadn't won the war. If she couldn't build the Grand Imperial, she would destroy her famous son's career as badly as he had destroyed hers--if not worse. When she got through with Mr. Hotshot Magician, he'll be lucky if he got to perform at kiddie birthday parties. Oh, yes, she was going to rake him over the coals over this one! And she was going to rake him good!





Milton Dewey stared at the letter from the Nevada State Bar, unable to comprehend what he had just read. The Ethics Committee had summoned him for a hearing regarding "breaches in conduct and other questionable practices" on his part. Simply put, they were demanding an audience with him for his shady deals and exploitative use of the law for his own benefit, especially about the SilverStar case. He had pushed the envelope so far on that one with the loopholes in the eminent domain law and the Fifth Amendment regarding public use that the envelope had fallen off a cliff. The Poletown case, his ace in the hole during the trial, had backfired, giving property owners a precedent to protect their interests from government and corporate takeovers; never again could any organization force anyone out of any home, office or other property for any reason.

The loopholes Dewey could explain away, and he had done some things for other clients that may have seemed unethical but got the job done, but he was up (bleep) creek about SilverStar. This wasn't a simple case of misconduct for which he could be repremanded. He had twisted that sacred document, the American Constitution, for his own and his client's purposes to get those people out of North Las Vegas so as to build the Grand Imperial Hotel on their property--sheer heresy to the powers-that-be in the NSB. This and other cases he had won by his distorted use of the law could lead to his disbarment. The loopholes he had exploited with such impunity had turned into a noose that was slowly tightening around his neck.

In the meantime, Dewey was suspended from practicing law until the hearing, which meant he couldn't represent Monique Wesley in her case against Criss Angel coming up. No other attorney in the firm would even consider taking his place in court that day; they wanted nothing to do with that train wreck, as one of his collegues put it. "You made your bed," he had told Dewey, "now you sleep in it!"

Dewey crumpled the letter and tossed it in the wastebasket. To hell with them, he thought. He'd been in tight spots before, and he always came up smelling like a rose. Yeah, he'd go before that Ethics Committee, and he'd turn on the old Dewey charm for them, sweet-talking them until they were putty in his hands like so many jurors before him. He may be down, but he was not out, not yet anyway.

But what about Monique's suit? The Bar had suspended him from practice until the Ethics Committee hearing. Well, so what? Who's to know? As far as the world at large was concerned, he was still a practicing attorney, and the trial was day after tomorrow. The letter could have been lost in transit, or mixed up with the interoffice mail or some other mishap. Happens all the time, right? It was too soon for the judge to become aware of the suspension, so he could still represent his star client, rake in the fees, and face the Ethics Committee with a smile on his face, several thousand dollars richer and no one the wiser. It was a gamble, but then, Las Vegas was founded on legalized gambling. For his client, it was a risk he was willing to take.

In the entertainment news, illusionist Criss Angel is being charged with assault by SilverStar CEO Monique Wesley for allegedly threatening bodily harm against her.

After his mother's arraingment hearing for criminal trespass in which she was aquitted for lack of evidence, the star of the "MindFreak" television series was reported to have said he would "like to punch her lights out". According to Criss's manager, Dave Baram, what he actually said was:"I wish you were a man for about five minutes...so I can punch your lights out for what you did to my mother, having her arrested like that! Not to mention all the BS about you tearing down an entire neighborhood to build your hotel. You are not doing this for the community, your doing it for your own ego! You are nothing but a self-centered (bleep).., and I'll sue you for whatever is left over from this suit."

Criss is suing SilverStar and Monique Wesley for false arrest and harassment on behalf of his mother. Neither party could be reached for furthur comment.

The Clark County District Court was quieter than usual the day of the suit, due to the heightened security measures taken for such a high-profile case as Angel v. Wesley. No media were permitted in the courthouse or anywhere near it. Only those who were directly involved in the case were permitted entry into the courtroom. A guard stood outside to prevent any intrusion during the proceedings. Security and silence were the order of the day.

Monique Wesley examined her shapely nails while Milton Dewey fumbled through his briefcase for his papers and his notes, while Criss's attorney sat calmly at the table next to his famous client, ready for his statement before the judge. The two parties neither spoke nor even looked at each other, but their thoughts were daggers aimed against one another.

That (bleep) thinks she can get away with lying about me about assaulting her? (Bleep) her! She's the guilty one! She had my mother arrested on trumped-up charges and she's accusing me of assault? She assaulted Mom! She had no right to do that to my Mom! She is so going down, and not in a good way, either!

So Mr. Hotshot Magician thinks he can thwart me, can he?Well, he'd better think again! Once I get on that witness stand, I'll tell the whole damn court of how he threatened to punch my lights out--he'll get no sympathy from anyone for that. Big, bad Criss Angel beating up a poor, defenseless woman! Boo hoo! The press will crucify him! Oh, yes, Crissie, you are so going down, and down hard!

"All rise," intoned the bailiff. "This court is now in session."

Everyone rose respectfully as the Honorable Cassandra Jewel stepped up to the bench. "Be seated," she commanded.

There was a rustle as the courtroom settled down again. Judge Jewel glanced at the docket for the first case. "Criss Angel vs. Monica Wesley," she read aloud. "Are both parties present?"

"We are, Your Honor," Criss's attorney replied.

"We are, Your Honor," Milton Dewey also replied.

"The plaintiff is charging the defendant with false arrest and harrassment on the behalf of his mother, Mrs. Dimitra Sarantakos," the judge stated. "The defendant, however, is countersuing on grounds of assault. Is that correct?"

"It is, Your Honor," Dewey affirmed. "The plaintiff threatened--"

"You'll get your chance, Counselor," Judge Jewel interrupted. "The counsel for the plaintiff will now state his case."

"Your Honor, on October **, 20**, the defendant issued eviction orders to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in an effort to aquire the property to build a luxury hotel. The defendant had no legal ownership to the property whatsoever, and so my client's mother, Mrs. Sarantakos, staged a protest along with other members of the church. She chained herself to a large tree out front and vowed to stay there until the eviction order was rescinded. On the second day of the protest, police came and arrested Mrs. Sarantakos and Father Stefan Mykolos for criminal trespass on orders from SilverStar Enterprises, the defendant's corporation of which she had been CEO."

Had been CEO? This revelation surprised Criss. What? She wasn't anymore? What happened?

"The plaintiff is now suing Ms. Wesley for false arrest and harrassment on his mother's behalf, in the amount of one-point-five million dollars, including court costs, legal fees, and other damages."

The attorney sat down next to Criss. Monique glowered at the two of them. One and a half million dollars? It'll be a cold day in Hell when you get a dime from me, Criss! No way am I going to let you win!

"The counsel for the defense will now state his case," Judge Jewel droned officiously.

Milton Dewey rose pompously and swept the courtroom with an imperious glance. "Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the court, my client, Monique Wesley, was threatened with bodily harm by the plaintiff, known as Criss Angel, if that is his legal name. On November **, 20**, after the arraingment hearing concerning his mother and Father Mykolos, he did so threaten to, quote, 'punch your lights out', end quote."

He pointed an accusing finger at Criss. "This man threatened to strike a woman, Your Honor!" he shouted dramatically. "This man--this brute of a man!--verbally assaulted a defenseless woman, causing her to fear for her personal safety! In a court of law, yet!"

"Your Honor, I object!" Criss's attorney spoke up angrily. "My client had in no way caused the defendant any harm or fear for anyone's personal safety! The defense is exaggerating the facts!"

"Objection sustained," the judge ruled. "Counselor, please refrain from being overdramatic and just state your case."

Dewey drew a deep breath and returned to the fray. "Your Honor, all we ask is that justice be served. Being a celebrity is no excuse to attack a woman for whatever reason, and we wish to make an example of Criss Angel, who, by the way, is no angel at all but a brute of a man who would stoop to beating a woman for no reason. Therefore, we ask for ten million in punitive damages, plus court costs and legal fees. We are confident that the court will find this reasonable."

Ten million dollars?! Criss stared at Dewey, aghast at the man's audacity. That's bull(bleep)! I'm not paying one cent to that (bleeper)! He can go to Hell for all I care! Monique, too!

''The defense calles Criss Angel to the stand," Dewey announced with a certain brutal relish.

Criss stood up and casually strode to the witness stand, unintimidated by Dewey's overconfident stance and snide expression. He took the oath and sat down, bracing himself for the verbal onslaught he knew was coming. It was just like jujitsu, he thought: Find your center of gravity, his martial arts trainer had taught him, and use your opponent's strength against him.

Milton Dewey strode slowly to the stand in an effort to prolong the agony. Criss was unimpressed, refusing to fall for such a tactic. He sat in the witness stand, arms crossed, a bored expression on his face while Dewey paced around him like a panther about to spring on its prey.

"Mr. Angel, if that is your name," Dewey began.

"It is," Criss replied.

"Is it true that you said you were going to punch my client's lights out, as you so crudely put it, on the day in question?"

"No." Criss replied firmly.

"You realize you are under oath, Mr. Angel."

"I am, and I am telling the truth. I did not say I was going to punch her lights out. I was quoted out of context."

"Oh, you were quoted out of context, Mr. Angel," Dewey sneered. "And what, pray tell, did you actually say? Hmmm?"

You sanctimonious (bleep)! "What I said was I wished she was a man for about five minutes so that I could punch her lights out," Criss explained defensively. "I would--"

"You heard him, ladies and gentlemen!" Dewey crowed. "He admits it! The plaintiff actually admits to--"

"Objection, Your Honor!" Criss's attorney spoke up again. "My client's statement was not a direct threat! It was an idle wish made in a moment of anger."

"Oh, an 'idle wish' is it?" Milton sneered again. "A wish to do bodily harm to a woman?"

The judge bought down the gavel with the force of a jackhammer. "Order! Order in this court!" She turned to Dewey. "Counselor, you have been warned against being overdramatic! The plaintiff will continue with his testamony uninterrupted."

Criss looked up at the judge. "Thank you, Your Honor," he said respectfully. "As I said before, I didn't threaten to attack Monique Wesley physically. I just wished she was a man for a few minutes so I could punch her lights out. I would never strike a woman, no matter how much I hated her. This woman is responsible for my mother being arrested on trumped-up charges of criminal trespass. She had no right to have her arrested like that! Even though I can't stand being in the same room as her, I would never, ever injure her in any way--at least not physically. I prefer to hit her where she lives--right in the bank account. That would do more damage than a fist in my opinion."

"But you were angry enough to do it, weren't you?" Dewey countered.

"Do what? Sue her? I'm doing that right now."

"I meant physically strike her. That was your intention at the time, wasn't it?"

"My intention is to make sure she never bullies anyone into giving up their property," Criss insisted. "And to keep her from harrassing my mother or anyone else who happens to disagree with her. She's done more damage than I ever did."

"But you did have the desire to strike her, didn't you?" Dewey badgered. "You intended to strike her and hid your intentions under a veiled threat, didn't you? You verbally assaulted my client, didn't you?"

Criss held his anger in check. He could see where this was going--Dewey was trying to goad him into an outburst, setting him up for a fall right there in the courtroom. Well, he wasn't going to play that game. He again remembered his martial arts training: use your opponent's anger against him.

Criss sat calmly in the stand, watching Dewey snarl and gnash his teeth to get him to fight back, waiting for an opening to strike back where it would do the most damage. Once Dewey saw that he couldn't intimidate him with his barrage of accusations, he backed off for a moment.

It was then that Criss struck. "You haven't proven anything, Counselor," he said. "All you did was twist everything I said around to suit your purposes. I know you're trying to get me to admit to something I didn't do, but it's not going to work. I said I wished Monique was a man so I could take her on equally, not that I would take her on period. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it."

Dewey slumped, exhausted. Criss was dismissed from the stand. "The counsel for the plaintiff calls Monique Wesley to the stand," Criss's attorney said.