The Real Housewives of New Jersey

[Poppy Fields]

Well wouldn't Ashley's assault be different? Because it was spontaneous, no one could have known it would happen. I would think that Bravo would have a legal obligation to intervene if it was apparent that a crime was going to happen. I could be wrong, I'm just being logical.

No, they wouldn't. Neither would you or I if we were watching it unfold. we might feel a moral imperative to intervene, but we have no legal duty to.

Bravo is there, purportedly, to record and observe (and, of course, edit). I'm pretty sure they knew, for instance, that the Salahis were gate crashing. Just a guess, but let's face it. If it was a ligitimate invitation, Bravo would not get much in the way of footage.

[Bredincaptivity]

Well wouldn't Ashley's assault be different? Because it was spontaneous, no one could have known it would happen. I would think that Bravo would have a legal obligation to intervene if it was apparent that a crime was going to happen. I could be wrong, I'm just being logical.

Unless there's a conspiracy, or an aiding-and-abetting aspect, then there is probably no criminality as an accessory. Moral failure to the nth degree, of course, as many people here have noted. But people film illegal activities all the time -- look at Intervention (if you must) -- without legal repercussions.

I do think there is an emerging legal issue associated with reality tv. At some point, someone's going to get really hurt -- or God forbid, die as a result of a staged interaction, and they will not only sue the individual, but their employer, be it Bravo or some other entity that puts people in these situations. These would be civil actions, not criminal. Unless... again, some sort of conspiracy or accessory charge could be mounted.

NBC is not responsible when an NFL player cleats the head of another player, or if a NASCAR driver crashes and burns, even though both are foreseeable results of the activities.

If the next MTV show were to be "Compton Homies" and they went around filming a group of gang-bangers beating up people and dealing drugs and spraying graffiti, it would be interesting to see where the legal obligations would lie. We're almost there now with Jersey Shore, with all the ethnic stereotyping, bad behavior and bar fights, which have resulted in several criminal proceedings already.

By the way, I own the trademark "Compton Homies" and the copyright to this story line. It's in development at Paramount.

[Kiz]

Haha, right!

Below I posted that Nunn said Joe had no prior DUIs. That is incorrect, it was Afflitto - who didn't even bother to check. A casual Internet search would have brought up at least one other conviction.

Hope the prosecutor has Joe's priors pulled together

I wonder if that's the same Joseph Giudice in the Atlantic City DWI and subsequent lawsuit (if that's the one you're referring to). That person is listed as Joseph A. Giudice, and Juicy Joe's legal name is Giuseppe Giudice.

The Criminal Husbands of Housewives of New Jersey

[Poppy Fields]

I wonder if that's the same Joseph Giudice in the Atlantic City DWI and subsequent lawsuit (if that's the one you're referring to). That person is listed as Joseph A. Giudice, and Juicy Joe's legal name is Giuseppe Giudice.

The Criminal Husbands of Housewives of New Jersey

According to the article it's Guiseppe Joe Giudice, Teresa's husband.

[Poppy Fields]

I do think there is an emerging legal issue associated with reality tv. At some point, someone's going to get really hurt -- or God forbid, die as a result of a staged interaction, and they will not only sue the individual, but their employer, be it Bravo or some other entity that puts people in these situations. These would be civil actions, not criminal. Unless... again, some sort of conspiracy or accessory charge could be mounted.

Or how about conspiring to breach security at the White House? I shudder to think how quickly I'd be detained under the provisions of the Patriot Act if I did that and had it filmed. I have to suppose that Bravo had its toe right on line between documenting and conspiring. I do think you are right, BIC. It's only a matter of time.

[chitex3]

I wonder who foots the bill for this?

Is the unibrow place on her list of debts?

[prhoshay]

Juicy Joe's sobriquet should be changed to Juiced-up Joe.

[Kiz]

According to the article it's Guiseppe Joe Giudice, Teresa's husband.

Yes, that's true but it's a gossip column, not straight news, and even they added this:

[DISCLAIMER: Though I attempted the best I could to use household searches to ensure that these actually were the men on the show—whether they share a house with someone named, for instance, Teresa Giudice-it is conceivable these are the criminal records of their name-twin dopplegangers. If so, sorry guys! Don't break my kneecaps!]

Believe me, I'd like to see him serve the 30 jail sentence and lose his license permanently before he kills or harms an innocent bystander, but I'm not so sure this other DWI conviction is his. However, it would be extra juicy if it was uncovered that he's using both Joseph and Giuseppe as his legal names.

[Poppy Fields]

I haven't done a PACER alias search, but there is no question that Guiseppe Giudice uses the name/alias "Joseph." In fact, his disconnected phone at the Inidan Lane address is listed under "Joseph."

[tears.and.rain]

Yeah, his real name is Guisseppe but he goes by Joe or Joseph. It's not uncommon for immigrants with names that have an English alternative to use that in order to fit in better. But it says his name is Guisseppe in the beginning of Teresa's book, and then it also says he goes by Joe.

For the record, I did NOT buy the book, but I was in Target and it was there and I couldn't help flipping through it!!