Preferential Treatment

Overheal

Today, after serving his full sentence of 48 days for a DUI, Keifer Sutherland was released from jail. Booo hissss.

Oh well, 48 days isnt a picnic. Here's a few examples of completely bull**** sentences given to celebrities:

Lindsay Lohan

Offense: Misdemeanor DUI charges related to her involvement in a high-speed chase in July.
Sentence: 1 day in jail.
Actual time spent: 84 minutes.
Details: As part of a plea bargain, the Mean Girls star was supposed to enter rehab, spend a day in jail and perform community service. She checked in at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 15, was placed in a holding cell wearing her street clothes and was freed at 11:54 a.m. Lohan was given credit for 24 hours already served and opted for 10 days of community service rather than two days in jail — thus fulfilling the minimum sentence of four days for a second DUI offense. Part of her community service will be two four-hour days working in a morgue.
Facility: Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Calif.


Paris Hilton

Offense: Violated probation, received from reckless-driving charges involving alcohol, by driving with a suspended license
Sentence: 45 days in jail.
Actual time spent: 23 days.
Details: After spending three days in a jail cell in June, the hotel heiress was put under house arrest because of undisclosed medical reasons. Then she was ordered back to jail to finish her sentence. When told she would actually be held responsible for her actions, she shouted "It's not right!" and called for her mother. The image of a crying Hilton being taken back to jail from court was published around the world. At least she scored a Larry King interview out of the ordeal.
Facility: Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Calif.


Nicole Richie

Offense: Driving the wrong way on a highway while under the influence last December. It was her second DUI conviction in four years.
Sentence: 90 hours in jail and three years' probation.
Actual time spent: 82 minutes
Details: It's only fitting that Richie, who rode Hilton's coattails into fame with their show The Simple Life, would ride the heiress's coattails all the way to jail. Appropriately, her brief stay was at the same jail where Hilton did time. What actually happened inside between 3:15 p.m. and 4:37 p.m. on Aug. 23 is sketchy. She was released "based on her sentence and federal guidelines," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Maribel Rizo told the Associated Press without elaborating. When asked if Richie, four months pregnant at the time, spent any of the 82 minutes in a jail cell, Rizo declined to comment.
Facility: Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Calif.


Mike Tyson

Offense: Driving under the influence and possession of cocaine in Arizona.
Sentence: 1 day in prison, three years' probation, 360 hours community service and drug treatment.
Actual time spent: 24 hours.
Details: The oft-troubled heavyweight boxer spent his day in jail reading the book American Gangster and feasting on bologna for "brunch" and a sloppy joe for dinner, according to The Arizona Republic. Tyson was pulled over in December 2006 after police saw his car driving erratically in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Facility: Tent City, an open-air prison outside of Phoenix, where Tyson wore the jail-issue pink underwear and black-and-white striped jumpsuit. His tent was separated from the rest of the inmates by a fence.


Michelle Rodriguez

Offense: Violation of probation by failing to complete community service, and falsifying documents saying she did, from previous drunken-driving and hit-and-run convictions.
Sentence: 180 days in jail.
Actual time spent: 18 days.
Details: After her release from jail in L.A. due to overcrowding in 2006, when she served one day of a 60-day sentence, the former Lost star was sentenced to go back to jail for a 180-day stint because of probation violations. (In another 2006 case in Hawaii, Rodriguez opted for a jail sentence after being charged with driving under the influence.) After checking into jail on Dec. 23 for the latest case, the sheriff released Rodriguez after she served 10% of her sentence due to overcrowding.
Facility: Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Calif.


Gary Collins

Offense: DUI in L.A.
Sentence: 4 days in jail, 4 years' probation and 100 hours community service.
Actual time spent: 4 days.
Details: Collins, an actor and TV host, was ruled not at fault when a car collided into his in the early evening of Oct. 23. Police then determined the star was possibly drunk and had Collins attempt a field sobriety test, which he failed. The driver of the car, 89-year-old Warren Gates, died Dec. 10. Since Collins pleaded no contest to DUI, TMZ.com reported, double jeopardy applied, and no manslaughter charges were filed. Additionally, the website reported that Gates caused the crash by making an illegal left turn, and in order to prosecute for manslaughter, the D.A. must prove that Collins caused the accident.
Facility: Glendale, Calif., City Jail.

Does anyone else think Nicole Ritchie ****ed the Warden?

Toots

I think if I'm ever going to commit a crime, I'll be doing it in Lynwood's jurisdiction!! I reckon I could probably kill a few ppl and be back home in a week!

kraggy

"Does anyone else think Nicole Ritchie ****ed the Warden?"

That's why they're called screws

monkeyfudge

Matthew Broderick got off with a small fine for killing two women with his car in Ireland.

Creature

Well of course Keifer Sutherland was gonna be let off, he has to find and disable the snuke.

WhiteWashMan

lol.


Yeah, there does appear to be a law for celebrities and another seperate law for those who arnt in the public eye.

I suspect that those who can afford top lawyers also get this 'preferential' treatment as well.

TBH, i really dont know much about law in the US, except for the fact that the assistant DA in law and order is always trying to get the maximum sentence of 25 to life for anyone who appaers guilty.
perhaps if he started looking for 3 days community service, things might change?

Jigsaw

I reckon that is a USA thing. If you act the ballix over here I reckon you can expect to suffer the full consequences. Having said that, if I was a celebrity i'd try to swing it. It is not fair, but if I was a celebrity I'd have a go and tbh who the hell wouldn't.

Krieg

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Matthew Broderick got off with a small fine for killing two women with his car in Ireland.

Christ I thought you were joking about that, then I looked it up
$175 fine for reckless driving that killed 2 women... wtf

Overheal

Asbad wrote: »

Christ I thought you were joking about that, then I looked it up
$175 fine for reckless driving that killed 2 women... wtf

:eek: link!

Sinfonia

Wikipedia wrote:

Legal problems

In 1987, while vacationing in Ireland with Jennifer Grey, Broderick was involved in a fatal collision that killed 63 year old Margaret Doherty and her 30 year old daughter, Anna Gallagher.

Broderick was driving a rented BMW in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, when he inexplicably swerved into oncoming-traffic lane. Anna Gallager, who was driving, and her mother were killed instantly. Broderick suffered a broken leg, concussion and collapsed lung. Jennifer Grey escaped with minor injuries.[9] [10]

Broderick was initially charged with reckless driving but later pled guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving and was fined $175. [11]

The victim’s family called the lightness of the sentence a “travesty of justice.” Martin Doherty, son to Margaret and brother to Anna, is quoted as saying:
“ I was very angry. Did Matthew get off lightly because of who he was? In the end, he got the same punishment he would have got if he had run over cattle. ”

In 2003, 16 years after the accident, Martin came forward and said he was ready to forgive Broderick and wanted to meet him. That same year Broderick‘s spokesman told the Post “Matthew is willing to meet up with them“.[12] [13]

Although I don't know much about the legal system, I find the part I bolded quite funny.

Krieg

Overheal wrote: »

:eek: link!

Wiki is your friend
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Broderick

Legal problems
In 1987, while vacationing in Ireland with Jennifer Grey, Broderick was involved in a fatal collision that killed 63 year old Margaret Doherty and her 30 year old daughter, Anna Gallagher.

Broderick was driving a rented BMW in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, when he inexplicably swerved into oncoming-traffic lane. Anna Gallager, who was driving, and her mother were killed instantly. Broderick suffered a broken leg, concussion and collapsed lung. Jennifer Grey escaped with minor injuries.

Broderick was initially charged with reckless driving but later pled guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving and was fined $175.

The victim’s family called the lightness of the sentence a “travesty of justice.” Martin Doherty, son to Margaret and brother to Anna, is quoted as saying:

“ I was very angry. Did Matthew get off lightly because of who he was? In the end, he got the same punishment he would have got if he had run over cattle. ”

In 2003, 16 years after the accident, Martin came forward and said he was ready to forgive Broderick and wanted to meet him. That same year Broderick‘s spokesman told the Post “Matthew is willing to meet up with them“.

Edit: Gah, damn you!.... sum..guy (:))

2Scoops

So, should you really boo and hiss at Kiefer Sutherland for serving his full 48 day sentence versus the other celebrities?

Drink driving is tolerated much more in America and doesn't carry the same stigma there as it does in Ireland (wrongly, of course). The trifling court penalties are to blame equally as much as the perpetrators.

Incidentally, what's the usual sentence for drink driving in Ireland, aside from having your license taken away?

Y2J_MUFC

Not only do they get millions of dollars, but they also are as good as above the law....i mean, i want in!!

Jrad

Asbad wrote: »

Christ I thought you were joking about that, then I looked it up
$175 fine for reckless driving that killed 2 women... wtf

That is amazing! How come no one new about this?, me included!

Feelgood

All the mod's give me preferential treatment :rolleyes:

WhiteWashMan

Feelgood wrote: »

All the mod's give me preferential treatment :rolleyes:

banned.
again!

Jesus Wept

Let us not forget Halle Berry, muppet.


Source

'In 2000, Berry was sentenced to community service for a hit-and-run accident after running a red light. Berry said she had no memory of being in an accident, and her doctors said she had sustained a head injury.'

She had no memory of it though? She hit another car, hit her head, and instantly forgot and drove off? :rolleyes:

minidazzler

But Kiefer probably started a gang in there who are now kickin ass and taking no names.

48 days for like two DUI's adn these other bitc*es who have no talent at all are back out in minutes!! No consistancy there.

Rob_l

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

lol.

I suspect that those who can afford top lawyers also get this 'preferential' treatment as well.

++1

This is it, these top lawyers, solicitors or barristers are paid so much because they are so good so if you can pay for them you can get away with it.

beanyb

Paris Hilton actually got screwed over because she was famous. She didnt go to jail for drink driving, it was for driving without a license. People usually only get a fine for that. Her license had been taken away because of drink driving, but it was a separate charge.

But it was still hilarious.