Did Lindsay Lohan and Nichole Richie Get Off Easy for DUI?
Lindsay Lohan served one day in jail for her second DUI offense. Nichole Richie served 82 minutes. What an outrage. Celebrities always get off easy. But, is that really true? ABC News recently took a closer look.
ABC’s conclusion is that DUI sentences are more lenient than many think. Ian Drew, of US Weekly, suggests that the real problem with celebrities is the enabling culture in Hollywood; “they're given free drinks in order to keep going to the clubs.”
According to reporter, Linda Deutsch, officials in the legal system say celebrities are treated no differently than anyone else. L.A. County jails suffer from such overcrowding that Sheriff Lee Baca needs space for more serious offenders. Undersheriff Larry Waldie said 50 women serving sentences for charges similar to Richie’s were released on the same day. Loyola University Law School professor Laurie Stevenson said “the answer is there are too many bad girls and not enough cells.”
Stevenson warned that prosecutors may take to overcharging on crimes to enable judges to give offenders longer sentences.
BULL. One day for second offense and 82 minutes for Nicole Richie is not lenient? I am a successful 35 year old woman and had a few glasses of wine, believed I was ok and at 7:30 at night went to go home. I had a car cut me off and lost control of my vehicle which I would have done regardless to whether I drank and I am not just "saying this". The officer smelt alcohol on my breath and decided to give me tests, one of which I could not do sober (stand on one leg with eyes closed). They then made me take a breathalyzer and when the reading was not to their liking i was asked to repeat it, then after being told to take a deep breath and not stop breathing until I turned red was told ok, you are over the legal limit by a signigicant amount. Hello, of course I was, when the oxygen and co2 is gone only the ethanol is coming out. I was sent to be booked and arressted and was bonded out and spent 48 hours waiting for them to process me. That is more time just for an arresst than what these girls have served for convictions.