Wednesday October 30, 1996

Tommy Lee Sued

LOS ANGELES -- Rocker Tommy Lee, husband of actress Pamela Anderson Lee, is being sued by a photographer for assault and negligence. The photographer, Henry Trappler, alleges Lee attacked him outside of Johnny Depp's Hollywood nightclub the Viper Room, causing him to suffer a fractured rib and pelvis.

Tommy Lee has already been charged with misdemeanor battery, but Trappler's attorney, Gloria Allred, doesn't think that's good enough. In a letter to California Attorney General Dan Lungren, she asked why the D.A.'s office had not charged Lee with felony assault--then answered the question herself: "The answer is obvious to many people. Mr. (Los Angeles D.A. Gil) Garcetti has a two-tier system of justice--one for celebrities and one for the rest of the people."