Punishing Paris
(larger and original version here, via TMZ.com.)
Many believe that Paris Hilton deserves the same lousy treatment that a pauper might receive after being sentenced to 45 days in a Los Angeles jail, if only to teach her (and other privileged youth) that society's laws apply to the privileged and poor alike. Others would like to see indigent inmates treated as well as Paris. The salient question is whether Paris has been singled out for particularly harsh treatment because of her celebrity status.
At a news conference on Friday, Sheriff Baca said: “The special treatment appears to be her celebrity status. She got more time in jail.” Under the normal terms of the early release program, he said, Ms. Hilton would not have served “any time in our jail.”
Jonna Spilbor explains how the court could have put Paris' celebrity status to good use.
[T]he judge might have given Paris an equivalent sentence that recognized the reality of her celebrity status - incorporating a few days in jail, but also perhaps an anti-DUI public service announcement, or serious community service contribution. Such efforts might have far longer-lasting effects on both Paris and the rest of the world, than any amount of time she spends languishing in jail. ... Paris, unlike the average defendant is likely to have lived a life of privilege that means she might benefit from learning about the lives of the less fortunate, and doing some good - whether it means donating computers, working with kids, or volunteering for the Red Cross.
Spilbor projects Paris' release date to be between June 22 and June 25.
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