Paris Hilton sentenced to Jail

[iradney]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18472845/

So, let me get this straight. She has a gazillion lawyers, a publicist and a good pair of eyes, and even with all that, she "didn't know" her license was suspended??

*checks BS-ometer*
The reading is off the charts!!

And of course, her mother says it's a waste of taxpayer's money. What, keeping irresponsible drivers off the streets is WRONG?

[ditchdj]

What's even more pathetic is that she'll get lots of extra protection and be isolated from all the other inmates and likely treated like a queen in jail because of who she is. It's basically a luxury motel room with bars, except with three square meals a day for free and free health benefits.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Actually, the judge was specifically trying to rpevent that it seems, as much as possible. According to what I read he said that 'she will not be allowed any work release, furloughs, use of an alternative jail or electronic monitoring in lieu of jail'. He really wants her to serve her time in a typical city lockup, it seems.

I think it would be good for her, personally. Might open her eyes a little.

[Rapscallion]

Hahahahahahahahaha!

Bwahahahahaha! Hooooooo! Hehehehehehehehehehehe!

Rapscallion

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Yeah, that was my reaction upon reading it too, Raps.

I IMed a coworker and asked her if it was bad that I thought the whole thing was funny. She said no, not at all.

[Ree]

You know, though...what she did was against the law, and deserving of the punishment, but there was a chance a judge could have shown leniency. I honestly have to wonder if it was because it was Paris Hilton, if that didn't work against her.

The courts were so eager to prove that there was no favouritism or elitism because it was a celebrity, that they clamped own hard.

Again, I am not saying the outcome should have been any different...you break the law, you pay the price, but I do have to wonder, if it had been just Jane Smith off the street, if the courts wouldn't have struck some type of deal with a lesser punishment.



I think she's a spoiled little brat, she got exactly what she deserved, and I am sick of seeing her ugly mug all over the place.
She has done nothing to deserve any of the publicity, except to be born to money.
She has no marketable skills, and a complete disdain and contempt for anyone not in her social circle.

Even that ridiculous show, "The Simple Life" was a disgusting attempt to poke fun at the lower classes. Rather than find humour at her 'fish out of water' attempts to accomplish manual labour and get her hands dirty, I feel that it only reinforced the stereotype that the rich are destined for greatness, while the poor will always find a job catering to them with all those menial tasks that the upper class are simply not capable of grasping.

Sorry, rant over.

[Melxb]

I laughed out loud too when I found out about it. I was at work and taking a shortish break from paperwork when I saw this as the "breaking news" in a big red banner on the cnn website. I texted a couple of friends and emailed my sister right away. They all said the news "made their day."

I have sympathy for celebrities and non-celebrities who do something wrong, but take steps to make things right. PH got a DUI, and was caught TWICE driving on a suspended license. I have zero sympathy for her. A DUI is an extremely serious offense and having had a friend seriously injured by a guy driving while drunk AND on a suspended license I hoped that the judge threw whatever he could at her. He did and I'm happy.

Incidentally, I know exactly where the jail is where she is going to serve her time. Lynwood isn't exactly the inner-city, but let's just say that it's a far far cry from partying in Hollywood. My mechanic is in Lynwood and I told my parents that she's going to put Lynwood on the map. (Also, Weird Al's last album was called "Straight Outta Lynwood" and it's based on the same city. )

Oh, and her mother is upset because "this is a waste of taxpayer money?" Lady, get a life. Your daughter is 26, not 16. She's a grown-up who broke the law. She was wrong, and you're wrong for not showing her that there are consequences for seriously breaking the law.

[Melxb]

You know, though...what she did was against the law, and deserving of the punishment, but there was a chance a judge could have shown leniency. I honestly have to wonder if it was because it was Paris Hilton, if that didn't work against her.

The courts were so eager to prove that there was no favouritism or elitism because it was a celebrity, that they clamped own hard.

Again, I am not saying the outcome should have been any different...you break the law, you pay the price, but I do have to wonder, if it had been just Jane Smith off the street, if the courts wouldn't have struck some type of deal with a lesser punishment.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree here. I live in LA and it isn't so much a celebrity issue, but a DUI issue. There's a huge clampdown on DUIs within the city and County (and surrounding counties as well) to stop DUIs. It started last summer and is continuous. LAPD, LA County Sherriff and even the California Highway Patrol have all been pushing hard to eliminate the very real danger of DUI.

That being said, I think if it Jane Doe off the street, I think JD would've have most likely have gotten more time than PH. According to the law, she could have gotten 6 months in county lock-up. The prosecution recommended 45 days, and the judge took his recommendation, but he could've have easily have used his discretion and sent her to do the full 6 months.

Also, don't EVER piss of a judge in LA by being late to his courtroom. I've been in a lot of courtrooms in my time (for professional/work reasons! ) and have had to speak before commissioners, judges and arbitrators, and if you're late you're screwed. LA traffic isn't an excuse because everyone in the courtroom had to drive in it too and they were on time. Being late to court, especially a criminal court, shows a flagrant disregard to the system and your inability to follow even basic laws. She was toast the moment she was a minute late.

[ditchdj]

A former state trooper once told me that judges do NOT like it when you miss a court date. As for me, I personally enjoyed Ree's rant because I totally agree with it. Personally I wouldn't think of her as "America's sweetheart" if she was driving drunk and hit and killed one of MY kids if I was on the road driving somewhere with them. I'd be ready to take her ass to the cleaners and repo every damn piece of wealth that she has!

[kibbles]

I have to agree with your assessment Ree, it sounds like the law was trying to make a name for itself IMO.

[Ree]

... it isn't so much a celebrity issue, but a DUI issue. There's a huge clampdown on DUIs ...

...That being said, I think if it Jane Doe off the street, I think JD would've have most likely have gotten more time than PH...

...Also, don't EVER piss of a judge in LA by being late to his courtroom...

...Being late to court, especially a criminal court, shows a flagrant disregard to the system and your inability to follow even basic laws.

Oh, I agree that being late to court was extremely contemptuous, and I think that should have been added as another charge.

I think it was an attempt to intimidate, and it backfired.

Also, 45 days is ridiculous for DUI, but the charge was not exactly for the DUI. It was for breach of probation.

I'm not familiar with the laws there, but I did read in the news article that the courts allow the option of paying to be sent to the jail of your choice.
I think that option was definitely off the table simply because it was Paris and she has so much money.

There was also mention of other options, (work release, furloughs, electronic monitoring in lieu of jail),and none of them were on the table, either. Again, I can't help but feel that was because it was Paris Hilton.

I think we're all on the same page, though, that she did not deserve any less than what she got.
Someone could have been killed with her recklessness.

Her parents spoiled her, and she grew up learning to bat her little eyes and play dumb blonde so that all would be forgiven.
Now, maybe she will learn that people have to become accountable for their actions, and there really are consequences for bad behviour in society.

I doubt it, though. Not as long as she has a mother telling her that everyone else in the world is out of step but Paris Hilton.

[iradney]

Speaking as someone who had a friend killed by a drunk driver, a DUI is a very serious offence. She got off lightly the first time, and the second time when her license was suspended. This was her third strike. The judge was right to give her hard time.
What boggles my mind is, she has millions of dollars. She couldn't organise a chaffeur for the period of time that her license was suspended???

[Melxb]

Oh Ree! I agree that she got exactly what she deserved. We're all on the same page there! I didn't mean to insinuate anything else. It's just an issue that hits really close to home to me because of my friend. I think 45 days for breaking probation is more than fair, and I actually think the judge was being lenient.

[blas]

I'm finding it hard to believe that she got a light sentence just because she's Paris Hilton....yes, she is rich and famous, and she got a lighter sentence than what she truly deserves, but where I come from, drunk drivers NEVER get the book thrown at them. Ever. No matter how "plain" or "lower class" they are.....no one gets the book thrown at them for it.

Maybe where I'm from is an odd place, but you can read the daily paper and in the crime section, can read:

"Joe Blow, 37, 123 Apple St., DUI, 5th offense" and then it will state that Joe Blow only has to serve a year in jail (but usually it's MUCH less than that) and maybe a year or two of probation and AODA classes.

Hell, there are people around here on their 6th or 7th offenses for DUI, and they still spend less time in jail than people who steal or beat up their spouses.

[NightAngel]

I didn't even read the article but from what I assess from the comments she had violated her parole, was driving drunk, suspended DL and did the unthinkable contempt of court manuever.

Yeah... she deserved AT LEAST 45 days.

She's a complete twit. I actually refuse to knowingly watch anything she's in because she's such a twit.