Paris Got Justice!!!
Allison Margolin, AKA "L.A.'s dopest attorney
So says Allison Margolin, AKA "L.A.'s dopest attorney," in an op-ed in today's Daily News, Paris gets no special treatment:
As a criminal-defense attorney who deals on a daily basis with the realities of the court and jail system in Los Angeles, I've seen more than enough cases to know Paris didn't get special treatment. In fact, most low-level offenders sentenced to county jail typically serve no more than 10 percent of their sentences, no matter what the county court dictates.
The paper, on the other hand, takes a rather different position:
It should surprise no one that Hilton was given special treatment. Los Angeles' justice system has always favored the rich, famous and powerful.This is the place where one underage actress' recent weekend of drinking, public drunkenness and hit-and-run accident didn't merit even a slap on the wrist.
It's where politicians convicted of public corruption don't even have to spend a day in jail.
It's where the Sheriff's Department suppressed the arrest report of a well-known actor who made anti-Semitic comments when popped for DUI.
What was surprising is that Hilton received jail time at all, and that the judge specifically ordered that she not serve soft time at home.
So do our letter-writers:
After O.J. Simpson, Robert Blake and now Paris Hilton, I strongly suggest that the Los Angeles city and county charters be changed to read: "Celebrities are entitled to get-out-of-jail cards at any time." In this way, the city and county can save money on costly trials.
Meanwhile, we're following up on reports that Sheriff Lee Baca is HIlton's latest BFF.
Re: "Meanwhile, we're following up on reports that Sheriff Lee Baca is HIlton's latest BFF."
That's hilarious! I just got an image in my head of Paris and Baca giggling as they text each other complete smiley face icons.
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Re: The letter writer who said, "Celebrities are entitled to get-out-of-jail cards at any time."
Yep, with our out of control celebrities: Robert Blake, O.J., Mel Gibson, Nick Nolte, Phil Spector, Nicole Ritchie, Courtney Love, Robert Downey Jr., Lindsay Lohan, Britney...and the list goes on - It's getting dangerous for us Angelenos to leave our homes. We non-celebrities need to be careful. Maybe, similar to Amber Alerts, we can have a Celeb Alert system put in place. That way we can find out what whacked-out celebrity will be running amok that particular evening.
As the parent of a teenager, I'm just happy to finally see a celebrity (if that's what you call a rich girl who has done nothing but pose for cameras and say "That's hot!") have to pay up for stupid and dangerous behavior.
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Final thought -
I had a surreal moment today when I heard Astronaut Buzz Aldrin - on TV to talk about today's space shuttle launching - asked by the news anchor what he thinks of this Paris Hilton debacle.
Basically, Mr. Aldrin seems to think (and I tend to agree) China is just chomping at the bit to become the next world power...since it seems our country so easily spins into a tizzy over a vapid party girl/heiress.
Hmmm...Paris, Britney, Lindsay - Could they be Chinese operatives?