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    Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against TV Exec Ancier Is Dropped

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2090 Views

    By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher

    HONOLULU (AP) --

    A former aspiring actor and model withdrew another lawsuit Wednesday claiming an entertainment industry figure sexually abused him, a move that prompted one lawyer to say the four cases were built on lies and character smears.

    Without explanation, attorneys for Michael Egan III filed papers in federal court in Honolulu voluntarily dismissing the case against former network TV executive Garth Ancier.

    Los Angeles attorney Louise Ann Fernandez released a statement on behalf of Ancier saying the case against him was reckless and "grounded in lies."

    "Just as this case imploded when the facts became known, any further legal maneuvers or gimmicks will fail because unsupported statements, falsehoods and character smears have no place in any court," the statement said.

    Mark Gallagher, Egan's Hawaii attorney referred questions to Florida attorney Jeff Herman, who didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

    Three weeks ago, Egan withdrew a suit against David Neuman, another former TV executive. Two other lawsuits by Egan are pending against "X-Men" director Bryan Singer and theater producer Gary Goddard. Both men have denied the allegations.

    Egan alleges that Singer abused him several times during trips to Hawaii in 1999, when Egan was 17. Egan also accuses Singer of abusing him earlier in California as part of a Hollywood sex ring. Similar allegations were made in the other lawsuits.

    Ancier never visited the estate in Hawaii where Egan claimed he was molested, Fernandez has said.

    In a motion filed in May to dismiss the case, attorneys for Ancier argued that the lawsuits were an attempt to "shake down Hollywood executives" and "part of transparent effort by a non-Hawaii resident — who did not even set foot in Hawaii himself during the time in question — to avail himself of Hawaii's extended statute of limitations."

    Egan sued in April under a Hawaii law that suspended for two years the statute of limitations in civil sex abuse cases. Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie last week signed a bill into law extending that window for another two years.

    The Associated Press does not typically identify alleged victims of sex abuse but is naming Egan because he has spoken publicly about his case.

    Federal courts can handle cases when parties are from different states.

    Category:News
    Tags:Garth AncierMichael Egan III



    A Closer Look At Proposed Measures Designed To Curb Google’s Search Monopoly

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.

    The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter Google's business, including possibly spinning off the Chrome web browser and syndicating its search data to competitors. Even if the courts adopt the blueprint, Google isn't likely to make any significant changes until 2026 at the earliest, because of the legal system's slow-moving wheels.

    Here's what it all means:

    What is the Justice Department's goal?
    Federal prosecutors are cracking down on Google in a case originally filed during near the end of then-President Donald Trump's first term. Officials say the main goal of these proposals is to get Google to stop leveraging its dominant search engine to illegally squelch competition and stifle innovation.

    "The playing field is not level because of Google's conduct, and Google's quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired," the Justice Department asserted in its recommendations. "The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages."

    Not surprisingly, Google sees things much differently. The Justice Department's "wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court's decision," Kent Walker, Google's chief legal officer, asserted in a blog post. "It would break a range of Google products — even beyond search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives."

    It's still possible that the Justice Department could ease off on its attempts to break up Google, especially if President-elect Donald Trump... Read More

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