LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Joran van der Sloot has a new twist as he fends off accusations in the Natalee Holloway case and prosecutors in the Stephany Flores Ramirez case. German news is reporting that Joran van der Sloot’s attorney has quit on the Flores cases. Joran van der Sloot started this month with three separate legal issues regarding Stephany Flores Ramirez and Natalee Holloway. But when he appears before a court in the Flores case in the coming days, he will appear without counsel.

On May 30, 2005, Natalee Holloway left with Joran van der Sloot from Carlos’n Charlie’s in Aruba. The two were last spotted together by Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe. Holloway was never seen again. In recent months, attorneys for van der Sloot have had to battle accusations from the Holloway family despite van der Sloot not being charged with her murder. Van der Sloot himself has told news “Her parents have been making my life tough for five years.”

Meantime, last month, Van Der Sloot’s attorneys advised him that, if he is found guilty for the murder of Flores, he could be subjected to a new extradition treaty between the Netherlands and Peru.

But now that same attorney Maximo Altez has resigned from defense of the Flores matter. Maximo Altez has told the Guardian he will continue to prosecute the civil case over alleged human rights violations committed by Chilean officials against Joran during his arrest.

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German news reports today that the Chile human rights case is separate from the Peruvian criminal defense case. “If Altez in the case would resign, this case would be terminated and could not be started by another attorney” reports a German news site. “I would not do that to Van der Sloot” Altez told the Guardian.

A court hearing is scheduled next week at which Van Der Sloot is expected to appear without counsel. The hearing is not open to the public. In March, news reports here indicated that Joran van der Sloot would plead guilty by reason of temporary insanity in the Stephany Flores Ramirez murder case. A guilty plea by reason of temporary insanity could send Van der Sloot to jail for as little as three to five years instead of fifteen to thirty-five years if convicted.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Ramona Singer’s Pinot Grigio could be the silent hit of the season’s Real Housewives of New York. Pinot Grigio and Ramona Singer are inseparable this season of New York Housewives prompting fans to exclaim on Facebook “where can I buy Ramona Singer’s Pinot Grigio?” In fact, after years of reality stars pushing upon fans to buy their cliché workout tapes and weight loss pills, Singer is parlaying her exposure on Housewives into a Pinot Grigio storyline, both on screen and off-screen. A quick perusal of Singer’s secondary Facebook account reveals at least fifty fans since last night alone asking about where to purchase the Pinot Grigio, suggesting that demand may be exceeding supply.

It’s been hard to go even one episode without Pinot Grigio becoming the core of the feud between the blondes and the brunettes this season. In one episode, the Housewives battled over the exclusion of the beverage at a function.

But much like Vicki Gunvalson’s love of Coto Insurance has become a battleground in this season’s OC Housewives, with Gunvalson finding more comfort in time at work than with her own husband, Singer’s love of pinot grigio has become often the battleground of disputes between the ladies.  But therein could rest the jealously.

The coupling of celebrities with beverages has been a big business the last decade. Now reality stars that tried to push traditional brands like handbags, jewelry, and creams are realizing that distribution channels for beverages can lead to far more lucrative careers. The first notable sale this decade was when rapper 50 Cent teamed with Glacéau in the deployment of Vitamin Water. By 2007, Coca-Cola bought Glacéau for US$4.1 billion bringing the rapper far in excess of $100 million from the sale.

Beverages don’t all compete against each other. Market researcher Nielsen Co., for example, ranks sales of beverages according to types of spirits. For example, from January to February, in the ready-to-drink cocktail category, Nielson reported that Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita topped the competition, earning $218 million during that period.

Today, Singer’s distribution is growing (see here). “The vines ranged in age from 15-20 years old in soil of calcareous origin that is rich in limestone. The grapes were hand-picked and immediately crushed upon reception at the cellar” Singer says in a news statement this week. “The next process is the fermentation of the wine in stainless steel tanks which took 15 days. The wine was then filtered and fined before resting in a temperature controlled tank for 2-3 months.”

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Mildred Patricia Baena could be getting sued by her ex husband. Mildred Patricia Baena (photos below) and Arnold Schwarzenegger could be named in a new lawsuit by Baena’s ex husband, Rogelio de Jesus Baena, concerning the birth certificate for the Schwarzenegger-Baena love child, claims the Colombian native.

Rogelio de Jesus Baena aka Rogelio Baena last week made news when he appeared on the U.S. television broadcast of Entertainment Tonight scolding the former governor and his ex-wife. As previously reported on LALATE, a birth certificate for the Baena-Schwarzenegger love child listed Rogelio de Jesus Baena as the child’s father and “Mildred Patricia Peña”, not Baena, as the child’s father. Rogelio de Jesus Baena has told ET that, at that time of the certificate’s issuance, believed he was the father of the child.

But Rogelio Baena tells a Colombian news publication this weekend that he intends to sue his ex wife and the former governor over that false birth certificate.

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“[A]ttorneys have told him that if Schwarzenegger and Mildred Baena knew this was not true, they engaged in conspiracy to falsify a public document — a serious crime in California” reports FOX News. It remains unknown to news if Mildred Patricia Baena, at the time of that birth certificate, knew that Arnold Schwarzenegger was the child’s father, not her husband. It also remains unknown if Arnold had any involvement with the preparation of the birth certificate or knew that he was the child’s father at birth.

Despite Rogelio Baena’s assertion that he thought the child was his, neither his wife nor the child was listed with his last name “Baena” on the birth certificate.

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Moreover, Rogelio de Jesus Baena himself has been under fire for claiming to have only knew about Arnold being the child’s father recently. A divorce document filed years ago indicated that Rogelio de Jesus Baena was not the child’s father.

The ex husband was recently asked by news “Did [Mildred] ever tell you that Arnold is the father?” His response was “She told me I am the true father.” “Do you blame Arnold that your marriage broke up?” Rogelio de Jesus Baena responded “He guilty. He guilty he betray.”

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Baena’s own daughter, from another man, told news last week that she wasn’t told of the child’s true father until the scandal erupted. But, “It doesn’t matter what any newspaper says. I know my mother. It’s all … rumors.” She added “I love my mom very much, and she’s a great inspiration for any woman out there, working for the kids.”

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Pacific Coast Highway lane closures between Temescal to Entrada, from the Pacific Palisades to Santa Monica, could cause traffic delays, officials warn news. PCH lane closures will prompt delays and cause drivers to take alternative routes like Sunset Boulevard. News of the lane closures was announced today by PCH Partners. And while lane closures is not welcomed news to local drivers, there is an additional twist; the closures will continue until 2012.

Today’s closure of designated lanes on Pacific Coast Highway impacts drivers daytime and nighttime. In the daytime, construction will span from 7 am to 4 pm tell officials to news. In the evening, the construction will go from 9 pm to 5 am. In a news statement issued this week, officials warned residents that one southland lane of PCH will be closed during daytime construction hours while two southbound lanes will be closed during evening construction.

The location of the closures is Temescal Canyon Road to Entrada Drive. News statements are inconsistent about the days of the closures, but initial reports suggest it’s from Tuesday to Saturday. PCH Partners has advised residents it will issue news statement updates via Twitter at @PCHpartners, with a map here and more here.

The reason for the construction is the installation of the new Coastal Interceptor Relief Sewer (CIRS), a 4500 long pipeline that will assist urban runoff issues. The effort is being paid by Proposition O the Clean Water Bond.

“In November 2004, voters of the City of Los Angeles passed the Proposition O – Clean Water Bond, authorizing $500 million of general obligation bonds for projects to protect public health by cleaning up pollution in the City’s rivers, lakes, and beaches” said the news statement. “The projects are intended to assist the City of Los Angeles in meeting Federal Clean Water Act requirements. Proposition O – Clean Water Bond will also fund improvements to protect water quality, provide flood protection, increase water conservation, provide habitat protection, and create open space.”

Construction is expected to last until 2012. The location of the construction spans north of Temescal to south of Annenberg Community Beach House says the news statement today.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Carmen Montenegro was caught pushing a garbage can of body parts down to the street this weekend. Carmen Montenegro was pushing the trashcan door to door asking neighbors to help her bury the body parts, claim news. When police responded they found the parts hanging out of the can and the stench filling the streets.

Carmen Montenegro, 51, has now been charged with homicide. But police still are missing key clues. Carmen Montenegro allegedly told news that she found the parts in her backyard. When investigators dug up her backyard this weekend, no other body parts were found. They are unsure where the murder occurred and if Carmen Montenegro was involved.

Carmen Montenegro, however, was only a relative of the homeowner, reportedly her mother. The parts reportedly are of a single adult male.

At 3 pm Sunday, San Bernardino Coroner’s Department found Montenegro going to door to door allegedly on the 700 block of Holmes near H Street asking for neighbors to help her with her garbage can. One homeowner tells KTLA that “Montenegro is not mentally unstable.”

Local news reports that Ontario Police Department booked her at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

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