5 major celebrity trials that dominated media in 2024
It’s been quite a year for celebrity trials around the country. From bombshell charges to new developments in decades-old cases, here are a few top headlines that had everyone talking in 2024.
The death of beloved "Friends" actor Matthew Perry in 2023 led to an investigation into five defendants for charges connected with his fatal drug overdose, including San Diego-based doctor Mark Chavez who pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine.
However, the bigger focus is on Jasveen Sangha, a woman dubbed "The Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood, and a licensed physician, Dr. Salvador Plasencia of Santa Monica. They were among the ones being charged in an 18-count indictment including distribution of ketamine, among others.
If found guilty, Sangha faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Plasencia faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years for each records falsification count.
The two have a joint trial date set for March 4, 2025.
Three years after the on-set, accidental fatal shooting of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case was dismissed.
Prosecutors first charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023 but later dismissed the charge a few months later in April. However, after a new gun analysis, Baldwin was charged once more following a grand jury indictment in January 2024 and pleaded not guilty.
Meanwhile, "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was also charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. She was convicted on this former charge and acquitted on the latter in March 2024 and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Charges for Baldwin were thrown out in July of this year after it was revealed at trial that prosecutors allegedly withheld evidence from the defense. Though an amended motion to reinstate the charges was filed, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer of the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico said the state hadn’t raised any factual or legal arguments to justify granting the motion to reconsider.
And, on December 23, New Mexico prosecutors withdrew their appeal of the court’s decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge, marking the official end to the case.
The list of celebrities associated with Sean "Diddy" Combs’ sex crimes case continues to grow as do the charges against the music producer.
In November 2023, Combs’ long-time partner, Cassie Ventura, filed a civil lawsuit against Combs including allegations of sexual assault and abuse. The lawsuit was settled one day later. Six months following, federal agents raided two of Combs’ homes in relation to an ongoing investigation into Combs regarding human trafficking and other federal crimes.
And, in September 2024, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York officially charged Sean Combs with a three-count indictment with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Since then, multiple other alleged victims have come forward with accusations and lawsuits regarding Combs’ alleged abuse spanning over nearly two decades.
A New York trial date is set for May 5, 2025.
Though celebrities of a different kind, Erik and Lyle Menendez have been in the Hollywood spotlight since 1993. Theirs was one of the first trials to be televised on Court TV.
Now, their story is being told through the lens of a new documentary and true-crime drama, "Monsters," both streaming on Netflix. The brothers are currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole in California for the murder of their parents.
Former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón recommended their resentencing in a court filing in late October, arguing for a lesser sentence based on California state law and new evidence reflecting the abuse the brothers endured at the hands of their father.
On October 31, 2024, a resentencing hearing was set for December 11, 2024, but was delayed until January 30, 2025, to give the new district attorney, Nathan Hochman, time to review the case.
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Infamous convicted felon Scott Peterson made the news once again this past summer as his case was under scrutiny, partially due to a new documentary being released on Peacock which included an interview with Peterson.
He is currently serving life in prison without parole in California for the murders of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child. Originally, he was convicted and sentenced to death in 2005, but this sentencing was overturned in 2020 after the California Supreme Court found potential jurors were improperly dismissed. Peterson is in jail because the California Supreme Court affirmed the guilty verdict.
For nearly two decades, the Scott Peterson case has been reviewed by countless podcasts with a number of theories, and yet, there’s been no new evidence to support anything other than Peterson’s guilt. However, in January 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project took on his case arguing Peterson was wrongfully convicted.
Though Peterson has maintained his innocence since the crimes were committed in 2002, his requests for a new trial have not been granted, and he continues to be an inmate in Mule Creek State Prison.