SALON

Wednesday, Jul 25, 2012 10:45 PM UTC

Bieber paparazzo faces criminal charges in pursuit

By

Topics: From the Wires

Bieber paparazzo faces criminal charges in pursuitFILE - This July 22, 2012 file photo shows singer Justin Bieber arriving at the Teen Choice Awards in Universal City, Calif. Los Angeles prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a paparazzo photographer for allegedly racing across a Los Angeles freeway in an effort to get photographs of Justin Bieber. The case marks the first use of a 2010 state law designed to prevent paparazzi from dangerously pursuing celebrities for photos. The City Attorney's office said Wednesday that 30-year-old Paul Raef faces four charges, including reckless driving with the intent to capture pictures for commercial gain, following another vehicle too closely, and reckless driving. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, file) (Credit: Jordan Strauss/invision/ap)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A paparazzo photographer faces criminal charges in connection with a high-speed chase of Justin Bieber earlier this month, marking the first use of a new state law designed to clamp down on photographers’ reckless pursuit of celebrities.

The City Attorney’s office on Wednesday filed four misdemeanor charges against Paul Raef, 30, including reckless driving with the intent to capture pictures for commercial gain, reckless driving, failure to obey a peace officer and following another vehicle too closely.

Raef could not immediately be located for comment.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 9. If convicted, he faces up to one year in county jail and $3,500 in fines.

Bieber’s publicist did not respond to phone and email messages.

The charges stem from a July 6 incident in which Los Angeles Councilman Dennis Zine, a former police officer, and three other motorists called 911 to report a high speed chase along the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley.

Prosecutors said responding officers saw a pack of six vehicles pursuing a silver Fisker Karma, a high-end sports car, which turned out to be driven by Bieber.

A Toyota SUV owned by Raef was seen traveling at speeds well over 80 miles an hour across all lanes of the freeway and on the shoulder, as well as forcing its way into lanes when it had no room to merge safely.

Authorities said motorists were forced to brake and swerve to avoid colliding with Raef’s vehicle and the others.

Bieber pulled over when officers signaled him to do so, but Raef’s vehicle did not stop.

Bieber was cited for speeding and released.

Prosecutors said that about 30 minutes later, Bieber called 911 and said he was again being followed by the same Toyota.

California Highway Patrol officers arrived at a downtown Los Angeles parking garage, where other paparazzi had congregated, and found the Toyota with the same license plate as the one that had chased the singer.

Officers identified Raef as the driver.

Paparazzi pursuit of celebrities has long been identified as a risk in Los Angeles.

“It’s Hollywood. There are a huge number of celebrities and there’s a lot of money paid for these pictures,” said attorney Harland Braun, who has defended cases involving paparazzi and who said he has had to fend off photographers chasing his celebrity clients.

“Unfortunately, innocent people get caught up in these chases,” he said. “I think the law is a good thing.”

City attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said the Raef case meets all the criteria spelled out in the law.

“We’re very confident in our case,” he said.

Although Bieber ended up with a speeding ticket, Mateljan said he has cooperated with authorities investigating the case.

Next Article

Related Stories

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

The week in 10 pics

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • Lisa Montgomery embraces her nephew Thursday after a tornado tore apart her home in Cleburne, Texas. The twister killed six people and destroyed entire swaths of the North Texas town.
    Credit: AP/LM Otero

  • Jack McMahon, the defense attorney for abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, speaks outside the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia Tuesday. His client was convicted of killing three babies in his clinic, and will serve multiple life sentences.
    Credit: AP/Matt Rourke

  • A photo taken Monday captures Vice President Joe Biden's response to a Milwaukee second-grader's innovative proposal to end America's epidemic of gun violence. This guy!
    Credit: AP/Jenny Aicher

  • Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., flanked by a grouper-eyed Michele Bachmann, addresses the IRS' admission that it targeted Tea Party groups in advance of the 2012 election. In an op-ed for CNN Thursday, the Kentucky senator slammed the president for his faux outrage.
    Credit: AP/Molly Riley

  • Ousted IRS chief Steven Miller is sworn in on Capitol Hill Friday. Miller testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on the extra scrutiny the agency gave conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
    Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite

  • Attorney General Eric Holder pauses as he testifies on Capitol Hill before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Holder is under fire, among other things, for the Justice Department's gathering of phone records at the Associated Press.
    Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster

  • O.J. Simpson sits during an evidentiary hearing at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison for armed robbery and kidnapping, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial.
    Credit: AP/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Jeff Scheid

  • Major Tom to ground control: On Sunday astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded the first music video from space, a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
    Credit: AP/NASA/Chris Hadfield

  • When it rains it pours. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inexplicably inspiring an #umbrellagate Twitter meme.
    Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin

  • A smoke plume rises high above a road block at the intersection of County A and Ross Road east of Solon Springs, Wis., Tuesday. No injuries were reported, but the the wildfire caused evacuations across northwestern Wisconsin.
    Credit: AP/The Duluth News-Tribune/Clint Austin

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

Comments

 0 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: Chekhov's story mirrors Russia's own

Recommendations