Judge: James Brown’s partner can get her things

Aiken, S.C. – The woman who claims to be James Brown’s fourth wife planned to return to the home she shared with the singer, after a judge ruled Friday that she could retrieve her belongings.

Tomi Rae Hynie said she has been locked out of the Beech Island home since Brown died Christmas Day at age 73. She went into the home Friday afternoon with the estate’s trustees and three of Brown’s six adult children and left with a few personal items, including a dress and other clothing, said Buddy Dallas, a trustee and attorney for the singer.

Hynie said she or her attorney will come back later for larger items, like furniture.

Judge Doyet Early said Hynie also could take pictures and videotape of the inside of the house. If there is any dispute between Hynie and trustees about whether something belongs to her, that item will be set aside until its ownership can be clarified later, Early said.

Hynie, who wore a wedding band to Friday’s hearing, says she and Brown were married, which is disputed by Brown’s attorneys.

The judge offered to hear arguments on that issue Friday, but Hynie’s attorney said he would present that case another day.

The singer’s embalmed body remains at an undisclosed location, in the same sealed, gold casket seen at his funeral, awaiting a decision on where to bury it, officials at the funeral home that handled Brown’s funeral confirmed Friday.

The judge told the children, Hynie and the trustees to not discuss burial plans with the media and to try to resolve that issue among themselves.

‘Good Will Hunting’ director agrees to diversion program

Portland, Ore. – Gus Van Sant, who was arrested on drunken driving charges in December, has agreed to an alcohol diversion program, his attorney said Friday.

Van Sant had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent, more than double Oregon’s limit of 0.08 percent, when he was arrested Dec. 21 on a main downtown street, police reports said

The 54-year-old director, whose films include “Good Will Hunting” and “Drugstore Cowboy,” appeared briefly in court Friday morning, avoiding reporters who were told that his hearing was to be held later.

The state diversion program for driving under the influence of intoxicants, or DUII, requires participation in an evaluation and education or rehabilitation program for one year.

Infamous drug lord gets life without parole for 2 slayings

New York – A remorseless drug lord with ties to hip-hop and Hollywood was spared the death penalty Friday by a jury that instead sentenced him to life in prison without parole for having two rivals killed.

Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, 46, who had listened calmly as federal prosecutors called for his death, showed no reaction as the jury announced he would not receive a lethal injection.

“The client feels relieved and we feel relieved to have gotten to death’s door and not have it open,” defense attorney David Ruhnke said.

Before federal marshals led McGriff back to jail, he waved to three rows of his friends and family and gently tapped his chest above his heart. McGriff hugged one of his attorneys, then gave a friendly nod toward the prosecutors.

Jurors, who deliberated about 2 1/2 hours on the sentence, convicted him last week of paying $50,000 for the 2001 killings of an obscure rapper named Eric “E-Money Bags” Smith and Troy Singleton.

Author claims that ‘Sahara’ producers didn’t listen to him

Los Angeles – Best-selling author Clive Cussler said he sued the makers of the film version of his book “Sahara” because they hadn’t listened to him and made his agent mad.

“They were going ahead and producing it without my approval,” Cussler said in a 2005 deposition played Friday for jurors as trial continued in his Superior Court lawsuit.

Cussler said his New York literary agent and longtime friend, Peter Lampack, called a lawyer because the producer was offering no incentives for Cussler to approve the script.

Cussler is suing Crusader Entertainment, a company owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz, contending that the company breached a contract giving Cussler absolute approval of the script up until filming began.

Crusader, in turn, is suing Cussler, accusing him of dooming the movie by being uncooperative and meddlesome and by bad-mouthing it to the press.

Each suit seeks millions of dollars.