ENTER SANDSMAN Steve Sands

On Oct. 16, Sands filed suit against the city and two members of the NYPD, Lieutenant Jay Fagan and Lieutenant Eugene Whyte. In the complaint, Sands claims he was stripped of his credentials in January "solely because he was attempting to take photographs" near an intersection where the Lindsay Lohan film Chapter 27 was being shot. Sands is seeking restoration of his credentials and monetary damages for an act he claims was a "blatant violation" of his First Amendment rights. A hearing is set for Nov. 8.

There's little question that Sands is a nuisance or worse to anyone with an IMDb profile attempting to film a scene or attend a party in Manhattan. His m.o. allegedly includes sneaking into events through back doors; threatening to call the fire department on parties if he's denied entry; throwing himself to the floor during confrontations and threatening to sue for fake injuries; and screaming invectives at celebrities who refuse to pose for him. In April 2005, he made headlines for shouting out Demi Moore's home address to bystanders after she tried to avoid having her picture taken at a premiere.

Sands's attorney, Bruce Eric Menken, naturally casts his client as the victim of police arrogance. He notes that Fagan lost his post as head of NYPD's TV and film unit in August following an investigation into his overtime and benefits claims. "This guy Fagan has got a history of sucking up to Hollywood types and celebrities in order to gain favor from them," says Menken. "The way he does it is by keeping the photographers away."

Not that other photographers are rallying to Sands's defense. James Edstrom, another NYC paparazzo, says he would be happy to testify against his colleague. "I have been yelling at publicists for years for letting this animal into events. He not only ruins the events, he makes the other photographers look like animals, too."