Pubdate: Wed, 28 Jul 2004
Source: New York Daily News (NY)
Copyright: 2004 Daily News, L.P.
Contact:  http://www.nydailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/295
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/racial.htm (Racial Issues)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?140 (Rockefeller Drug Laws)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/russell+simmons

KIMORA ARRESTED AS HUBBY POLITICKS

Kimora Lee Simmons Rap mogul Russell Simmons was having a great time
at the Democratic National Convention yesterday - until we called to
ask him about the arrest of his wife, Kimora Lee Simmons, on
reckless-driving and drug charges.

Kimora, the fashion powerhouse whose gorgeous nude form can be seen on
a Times Square billboard for her Baby Phat line, was handcuffed and
booked Sunday night by cops in Saddle River, N.J., where the couple
lives.

According to Saddle River Police Lt. Robert Breese, she was charged
with eluding a police officer, possessing marijuana (under 50 grams),
careless driving, operating a vehicle while possessing a controlled
substance, tail-gating and having a taillight out.

The 29-year-old trendsetter, who was fingerprinted and posed for a mug
shot, "made no attempt to stop" when officers demanded she pull over,
Breese said. "They arrived in front of her residence, where she was
finally confronted."

Kimora's attorney, Stacey Richman, said: "We deny any wrongdoing
whatsoever" and called the incident "another example of a prominent
member of the hip-hop community being made an example of."

A friend of the couple claimed cops conducted an illegal search and
insisted that the pot in question was in a bag that belonged to a
passenger in the car.

The source said Kimora didn't stop immediately "because she was on a
road with no shoulder. She drove till she found a place where she
could pull over."

Russell Simmons said, "My wife is an excellent driver, and she's not
guilty of any crime. You don't have to grab my wife and put handcuffs
on her. Her wrists are all bruised up."

The arrest hits close to home for Russell, 46, who has campaigned
against racial profiling and lobbied for repeal of the Rockefeller-era
drug laws in New York, which severely penalize possession of even
small amounts of marijuana.

The Def Jam founder, whose fortune has been estimated at over $1
billion, said: "I may be the biggest taxpayer in Bergen County, but
I'm not looking for anything special. I just want to be treated fairly."

Lt. Breese said, "We've never had any complaints about racial
profiling against these officers."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin