Summary: The judge in Kesha’s sexual abuse case has potential financial ties to Sony Music Entertainment.
Was Kesha given an unfair tune in her legal battle against Dr. Luke? E! Online reports that the New York judge who had ruled against her was married to a lawyer whose firm calls Sony Music Entertainment a client.
“Judges are required under the New York state canon of judicial ethics to avoid even the appearance of impropriety,” Troy Slaten told E! News. “This means judges are not supposed to preside over cases where they have an actual or potential financial interest in the outcome. The rules go so far as to say that even somebody in the judge’s family should not have a financial interest in the outcome of litigation.”
In April, New York judge Shirley Werner Kornreich ruled that pop star Kesha could not break her contract with producer Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald), who owns Sony imprint Kemosabe records. Werner Korneich said that the contract was industry standard.
But now Wener Korneich’s impartiality is looking off-key. The New York Post broke the news that her husband is attorney Ed Kornreich of Proskauer Rose, a New York-based firm that lists Sony Music Entertainment as a client. It is unclear if Kornreich has ever worked directly on a Sony case, but legal expert Slaten said the appearance of impropriety may give Kesha a way to rebuke Werner Kornreich’s previous ruling.
“Kesha’s lawyers could now be in a position to seek that every ruling of this judge be redone by a new neutral and impartial judge who does not suffer from potential or actual bias,” Slaten said. “Basically, Kesha can probably get a do-over if she wants.”
In 2005, Kesha, then 18, signed a deal with Dr. Luke to record as many as six albums with the producer, and so far she has released two successful projects. In 2014, the singer sued Dr. Luke, claiming he sexually and emotionally abused her for almost a decade. She sought to break her contract but was denied by Werner Kornreich. In August, Kesha dropped her lawsuit and resumed recording.
E! Online reports that a status conference is scheduled for next week with Judge Werner Kornreich presiding.
Do you think Kesha will seek a “do-over”? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: E! Online
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