June 08, 2007
NOW Paris is relevantMusings
The more I thought about it today the angrier I became. I never expected to write a post about Paris Hilton on this blog. I’m incensed whenever mainstream media thinks that her life is worth reporting to the masses, especially in light of the real events in our world that go ignored. She is a harbinger of the Assault on Reason. But finally, today, Paris became relevant to me. TMZ.com has had the best blow-by-blow on the internet:
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Paris Hilton’s medical condition was purely psychological and that she was in peril of having a nervous breakdown, and that’s why she was released early this morning.
Psychiatrist Charles Sophy visited Hilton in jail yesterday and the day before. We’re told after Sophy’s visit yesterday, word was passed to the Sheriff that Hilton’s mental state was fragile and she was at risk.
The reason for releasing her had nothing to do with a rash or other physical issues. It was purely in her head. [Link]
And the breakdown of our society is complete. Just think about this for a minute (if you haven’t been already). A rich white girl was convicted of being a drunk driver and sent to jail. She was convicted even after making use of the best lawyers that money could buy and having full and transparent use of the American legal system. After three days she gets out because prison was too much for her fragile mind and she wasn’t eating well. Meanwhile, you have so-called “enemy combatants,” some of them South Asian, who in many cases don’t get a lawyer or even get to hear the evidence against them. They are simply thrown into a cage. Not only do they not receive a get-out-of-jail-free card for mental illness, they get tortured in a manner meant to hasten mental illness. Even children. I know some of you think it might be unfair of me to compare Hilton to Guantanamo inmates. You are quite correct. The Guantanamo inmates have only allegedly committed a crime. And what about the thousands of non-rich women and juveniles in the American legal system? Many get raped or assaulted in prison without any justice. They don’t get to go home with an ankle bracelet if they cry about it or don’t eat the soggy vegetables on their plates. Mental illness is very real and shouldn’t be treated lightly (but it is unless you are rich). What we are witnessing here is a perfect example of the “Two Americas” that candidate John Edwards is always going on about.
This past week there has been a furious immigration debate around what some in Congress were calling the “Grand Bargain.” As of today the bill is dead. The reason many lawmakers give for opposing the bill is because they believe that in America the rule of law should come first. If illegal immigrants are breaking the law then they should get no concessions or amnesty (like, ummm Hilton). Other groups wanted the bill to fail because they saw it as a battle between the skilled and the unskilled (which can be translated to mean a battle between the potentially rich vs. the potentially poor). Why give an “unfair advantage” to poor huddled masses?:
Indian American legal experts and immigrant rights activists across the board have strongly opposed and rejected the comprehensive Immigration Reform Act 2007.
The compromise arrived at between the White House and the US Senate over the proposed Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act has been termed as a “sell out” by the Senate in the “grand bargain”…These are the worst set of immigration policies for high skilled immigrants in the civilized world.” According to Immigration Voice, the Senators that have crafted the new merit based system have announced that this model follows the legal immigration pathway developed in Canada and Australia, but the compromises that have been made have deluded the entire system into a cesspool of half baked immigration ideas. This bill takes away annual Greencards from an already low number of Greencards available to legal, skilled employment based immigrants and awards them to unskilled future guest workers and to the new untested merits based points system, as explained by Immigration Voice.
As an example, an agriculture worker can earn 25 points for working 100 days a year for 5 years, while a skilled individual will get 10 points for working the same number of years. [Link]
First off, the above article is a misleading load of crap. Especially the part I put in boldface. There are many South Asian Americans that wanted this bill dead (or modified) for reasons opposite to the ones listed above. A purely merit-based system might tear apart families and discriminate against unskilled labor (which many would argue America needs to stay productive). Again, it is the haves vs. the have nots.
So that brings me back to Paris Hilton. She is the tipping point. What she demonstrates is that as a society we are comfortable with two sets of rules and values: one for the rich and one for the poor, and that this often translates to “one for the natives and one for the foreigners.” If these are all signs of things to come and America strays too far from its egalitarian roots and the principles upon which it was founded (but has never practiced perfectly)…then we will all have more than Paris to worry about. We must throw Paris back into jail and simultaneously afford some real justice to those that deserve a fair trial.
There is some hope at the 11th hour:
TMZ has learned that a judge has ordered Paris Hilton back to his Los Angeles courtroom, telling her she must attend tomorrow morning’s hearing. She could be sent BACK to the slammer!… [Link]
abhi on June 8, 2007 12:54 AM in Musings · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
i can't believe she's been csught on tape using the n-word twice and even al sharpton still kowtows to her.
A dual society is what Karl Marx talked about a couple of centuries ago. The haves and the have nots.
Unfortunately, every society ( regardless of continent) has an insider and an outsider. It is just that the USA and other "white" countries preach about having the same set of rules for everyone but the reality is markedly different.
A points based system is inherently fairer than a family based one. After all being born in a particular family is an accident. At least a points based system gives some people the opportunity to climb out of a hell hole.
But then I am biased as I have benefited from a points based system.
I don't think dual society is anything new in American society, or any society for that matter. Its just that with Paris its more in the face.
To be fair to Paris Hilton, it would be relevant to look ar how many DUI cases result in early withdrawal from prison? It is unfair to compare her to other people in seperate prisons because the crime, or the crime they are accused of committing is far more serious. Not that I feel Guantanamo inmates are treated fairly, just that comparing their case to Paris' here is comparing Apples to Oranges and not relevant.
Abhi, I'm totally with you on this one. The "Poor Paris is going to jail!" thing has been a total spectacle and a blatant reminder of how ridiculous our society is, particularly around criminal justice. What other inmates get separated in solitary confinement? (Which is generally not good for you, but used if you are a danger to yourself or if others are a danger to you) I hope the judge throws her ass back in jail.
Hmm, care to elaborate? Or if we are just making broad statements without any substantial backup except for some vague site,then I think that the above statement was a load of crap, for a lot of reasons!
First of all rather then looking at it as a war between have and have not's, look at it as a war between followers of law and brekers of law. If a few hundred thousand people have a desire to immigrate, who go through a lot of crap to maintain legal status, (including their perfectly employable spouses not working for years), who pay taxes, who dont take any kind of welfare benefits, who actually get a drivers licence and pay for insurance, whose kids "generally" do not become gangbangers, whose kids grow up and become journalists,astronauts and create thought provoking blogs . If they want to become a resident here and who expect no special treatment but an equal treatment for immigration then whats wrong with that???
The current bill said that any illegal alien gang member can have immediate legal status if he ticks a piece of paper saying that he renounces the gang activity and can have work permit in weeks, but a legal guy will rott in the backlog hell for years. Think about it, and tell me where is the justice .
I want the millions of poor illegal immigrants to have a chance, hundred of thousand of family members of citizens to have a chance. But where is my chance????
By the way, Paris Hilton this is so despicable , but even more despicable is a sort of "I knew it will happen" resignation among folks. It seems unequal treatment is getting the same acceptance as the corruption back home!
hmmm...some people just need an excuse to talk about Paris ;) ...
Sarah Silverman cracks up the Hollywood crowd with Paris Hilton in the audience. It is awesome to watch her squirm while desperately trying to keep her game face on. Of course, this public appearance was hours before she was going to show up in jail!
As for the latest shenanigans, I love that the city is wondering whether they should hold the Sherriff in contempt for releasing her. Paris, we just don't je t'aime.
Rocky (LA City Attorney) and Zev (LA County Board of Supervisors) are not happy...Kinda weird seeing them all over the news speaking out on this...
In oddly parallel theme, I'm reading Voices From the Storm, a an oral history of Katrina victims. I just got to the part where the jail guards abandoned the prisoners and the water was rising while inmates were locked in cells. You know what happened next. The inequity is astounding.
People in LA are NOT happy about the Paris thing one bit. But no one is surprised.
What Gitmo, Martha Stewart never had it that good-- although she can't claim to be anorexic. I guess they didn't want a dead Hilton on their hands...
Poor little rich white girl.
[*SARCASM*]
Its the most popular story on cnn right now. When was the last time you saw the US so worked up about something serious.
Though I have to admit I admire her: I find her unapologetic attitude towards her own shallowness and stupidity quite liberating.
If there's one thing you can repeatedly count on. From Marilyn Monroe, to Pam Anderson, even to this girl, is their protective, obsessive, infatuation with the blonde woman.
Paris Hilton is a symbolic representation of our own hypocrisy. Our desire to be known, without effort. Our desire to be loved, without pain. Our desire to be noticed, without doing anything noticeable. Like the "crow" was Eric Draven's link to the world of the living, Paris is our link to a world of fantasy. When Paris's mugshot came out - it was just too real.
This is my blond heartthrob. Say it with me now, that's hotttt!
I wonder... in countries where there are still rich and powerful landowners, do their serfs regard them with the awe and admiration reserved for celebrities?
"There goes the Missus in her limousine! She's so pretty. God bless her!"
"Shut up and go back to work, peasant scum!" [*whipcrack*]
:-(
Psychiatrist Charles Sophy visited Hilton in jail yesterday and the day before. We’re told after Sophy’s visit yesterday, word was passed to the Sheriff that Hilton’s mental state was fragile and she was at risk.
I believe that this is the origin of the word sophism.
Maybe mental illness is the new American equivalent of the Indian politician's chest pain?
To HMF in post #13: To be fair, I don't think "blonde women" obsession is a mark of privilege of blonde people as much as a type of subordination of blonde people to brunettes in America. It's a gendered integration that feminizes blondes since they're a hair minority. I think it's similar to the gendered integration of east asians. It's worth noting because there's not a clear gendered integration of desis yet, and it's something I think those who care about desi men should actively work to counter-act. For every Mississippi Masala I think it's in our interest to have a The Namesake out there.
Abhi, she's being released early so that she can fulfill her commitment to play Mother Teresa in Bollywood.
;)
Dave;
Dave; Is that You? I get your point: with at least one of the "Namesake" pairing's blond hair is still a possibility.
With that Mississippi Mix- all hope might be lost. I see how you might be
threatened,concerned.Take heart. I'm pretty sure both of the "Simple Life" celebrities have a passing familiarity with L'Oreal. Just think for under $12.00 you too can be blond!
Ay, pobrecitaaa!
I have known many people who were and ARE locked up and they were/are in serious need of mental health assistance yet remain locked up. What gives? It's not like she's the only one in jail suffering. Everybody in jail is.
Tummy hurts?
Cramps?
If only it were that easy for the rest of us.
Psychiatrist Charles Sophy visited Hilton in jail yesterday and the day before. We’re told after Sophy’s visit yesterday, word was passed to the Sheriff that Hilton’s mental state was fragile and she was at risk
Look. This is why we have suicide watch and health wards in jail. She even had a cell to herself FFS, which is a luxury sometimes because of lack of privacy.
I really don't get why people just can't man up do their damned time.
Sure, because you always pay million dollars for people to act, who have no acting talent.... to brunettes, right?
All I want to know is:
How many people have died in Iraq ever since this story knocked everything else off the front pages?
They're not releasing Paris necessarily because she's rich. Rich people have gone to jail before, and celebrities have gone to jail (someone's already mentioned Martha, and of course there's the Enron crowd).
They're releasing Paris because keeping her in the spotlight makes money for other people.
That's the only "currency of worth" in this country.
I know all about the "two Americas" that we all live in. I think my elder brother lives in one (the good one) and I unfortunately live in the other.
This case is just one more example of no justice in this world. This could have easily happened any where in the world. The super rich fat cats have some perks!
Just like Sanjay Dutt is gonna be released on probation even tho the two people who brought and then took the guns from him are being sentenced 10yrs.
Guantanomo detainees are not american citizens. Any american citizen among them is immediately transferred to a US prison and is given the full slate of rights of americans. The detainees are also not criminals. They are prisoners of war and yet they still receive full legal protections. Witness the case of Omar Khadr. Would the charges have been thrown out if he was not receiving a fair trial?
I do find it amusing that Paris was let out because she wasn't eating. When did she eat in the first place? And I completely agree that she should not have been released but her situation should only be compared with that of any other american who gets stuck in the same situation.
seriously, i'm not sure sending her to jail would serve any purpose in reforming her, though it would send a message to society about treating offenders equally. is her license still suspended?
jeet - i think that is how it's going to go for sanjay dutt. however, i think he was one of the very few out of the whole bunch who was not convicted under TADA - i.e. he was deemed not to have terrorist intent re his involvement. i read that he and the others who were not convicted under TADA were the only ones who could seek probation, and none of them have been up for sentencing yet. contrastingly, the ones who have been convicted so far have been deemed terrorists undr TADA. this could explain the differential.
Maybe a prison sentence wasn't right for Hilton. I am unsure even though that may be the consequence for multiple DUI charges.
She should do serious community service for free and a very long time (like picking up litter in public parks, helping the less fortunate, cleaning public schools and commodes in inner city communities, etc.) at the very least.
Why? Up until this administration started locking up "enemy combatants", the law didn't treat non-citizens different from citizens.Why should American convicts deserve better treatment than non-American ones.
Thanks for this post ! It is truly so sickening to watch this famous-for-being-famous celebrity's life being documented all over the news channels, next to such 'unimportant news' like 'twin baghdad bombers kill 25'. At least if they had separate entertainment sections where these stupid hilton headlines don't compete with serious matters, that would be fair. But on most news channels, all these headlines compete for attention in the same space... and it drives me crazy to see such a 'mugshot' if you can call it that, splashed all over.
As for hilton, I am hoping that our faith in justice will be restored when the court orders her back to jail. 'Unspecified medical problem' my ass!
What really irks me is that there are thousands of inmates in the federal and state penal systems in the US who have serious mental health issues, but those issues did not prevent their conviction, or their ultimate incarceration...in some cases, years of incarceration. That these inmates are mostly poor and from minority groups is very telling.
Two Americas, for sure.
I remember watching TV and someone was saying that the Governor of California, Arnold, was considering giving her a pardon? or something like that so that she wouldn't have to go to jail.
The Paris Hilton prison diaries, Great read!
Technically I should be excused from work then for..
unspecified medical problem = I don't wanna be here.
It's interesting how the people most complaining about the existence of "two Americas" are the first ones to recommend 'proportionate punishment' and special punishments for people like Paris so that she may be 'reformed'. Unless there is some evidence of Sophy or Baca having been on the take, there are no grounds for suspecting their professional judgments. There's probably precedent for their actions and even the Judge will find it uncomfortable today to lean either way.
"My message to those who don't like celebrities is that punishing celebrities more than the average American is not justice," Baca said.
Gitmo is a whole new ball of wax.
We've always treated prisoners of war or enemy combatants as separate. The idea of treating them the same is a recent development. In World War II, 8 German saboteurs were caught on US soil. They were subjected to a military tribunal and summarily sentenced to death. They did not get the full set of rights that and due process that US citizens get. The US Supreme Court upheld this as constitutional. In the past, we've have not treated non-citizens as we would citizens.
Did you alll see? Bush called in sick too.
It's interesting how the people most complaining about the existence of "two Americas" are the first ones to recommend 'proportionate punishment' and special punishments for people like Paris so that she may be 'reformed'
I'm not saying that Paris deserves to be punished more than non-celebrities in the same situation. I do think she deserves to be punished at least as much as those in the same situation. I have no doubt that Sophy rendered an opinion based on his reasonable professional judgment, but low-income inmates who undergo psychiatric evaluation aren't typically allowed to return home until their sentence is up. Isn't this a reflection that Paris is getting off relatively easily, and mostly because she's uber-wealthy and famous?
But Abhi??...what did you think about the Kitchen Sisters story of NASA food in space on Morning Edition yesterday?
Reminds me of the scene in the godfather when michael turns to the police chief.."How much is the turk paying you off to set up my father....." I wonder how big the check was Paris' family wrote? 500 grand, a mil? One can only guess...
Great post Abhi. I hope they stick her arse back in the slammer.
"Thanks for this post ! It is truly so sickening to watch this famous-for-being-famous celebrity's life being documented all over the news channels, next to such 'unimportant news' like 'twin baghdad bombers kill 25'"
Randomizer, Stories like Paris, Lohan, etc exist to sedate the public. It benefits the elite who cultivate a herd of docile consumers while the world slowly decays...But then again I buy the limited edition Jordans just like everyone else.
And, and, Baca extended her home-based confinement back to 45 days.
Do you want to go with soundbytes/emotions or facts?
I think your understandable outrage at Hilton's favorable treatment will get lost in a rather disjoinyted attempt to link it to treatment at Guantanamo or the current immigration bill. From the admittedly limited amount I've seen on various news outlets, the blame lies mostly with the local sheriff - the judge and prosecutors argued against any shortening of the sentence. But this sheriff is pretty cozy with celebrities.
As for the immigration bill, my chief complaint is that the U.S. does not need thousands of unskilled laborers. On the one hand, we are told that in order to earn a living, you have to get educated and get skills, because unskilled jobs are leaving the U.S. and not coming back. Yet, you have American poultry producers, agri-business that are addicted to cheap Mexican labor. So, it seems that there is a demand for unskilled labor - but big business does not want to pay for it. So, while local governments have to pay for school, health, occasional incarceration, the beneficiaries of this wave of unskilled immigration do not have to contribute a dime. It is kind of hard to argue that you want to improve the lot of the working class, when you also want to flood the labor market with unskilled labors, forcing their price to go down.
Second, the joke of the 2-year worker visa. Germany's experience with Turkish temp laborers in the sixties is approppriate - "We wanted workers, but we got people." Does anyone believe that these men and women who come here for 2 years will just work and do nothing else? Not meet someone and get married? Or get pregnant?
Third - the point system. While trying to copy the Canadian model of seeking out highly skilled immigrants is a good idea, I have no faith in the federal government to be able to gauge the skill level of an applicant. How is a civil servant, working at an American consulate in India, China, or Vietnam going to be able to tell how good an engineer or doctor someone is. Plus, from a small business perspective - I don't need to add another government agency to the alphabet sou of agencies I already deal with. I would argue that small businesses need this immigrant talent more than the Ciscos, Dells, or Apples of the world - because they have the deep pockets to offer the benefits package to American-born workers that many small businesses cannot. From my self-interest - I need more engineers, not day laborers.
Immigration is a benefit to the U.S., but it is unfair to saddle the costs of it to groups that face the greatest competition from it. Unless big business and the feds are willing to shoulder some of that cost, their promises to fix the current system seem insincere.
glass houses @43, anyone that quotes from godfather is the shit in my book. i know the entire dialogue from that movie. and i pictured the scene you quoted the second i read that.
Because of overcrowding in Los Angeles County jails, release criteria now call for female offenders to be freed after serving 10% of their projected sentence.
Yes, I was aware of that, and frankly, why even bother with the psychiatric evaluation, if sending her home in 4 days would have been par for the course?
The way the media reports the story, it certainly seems as if Hilton is being given some sort of a reprieve because she's a psychological mess and prison is simply too tough for her. The facts are a lot harder to find when they're drowned out by the soundbites, if you will. Even the overwrought publicity over Hilton's conviction is unnecessary, if you ask me.
On another note, if LA County jails are so crowded, perhaps changes in sentencing rather than early release programs are the way to go?
I wonder where the outrage was when Lost star Michelle Rodriguez who was to do 60 days in jail for a DUI, was released the same day she checked into the LA jail due to overcrowding. I wonder if Rodriguez get off cause she was Puerto Rican.
Also in the new section there was yet another story about the way young sikh's girls are being harrassed by muslim men in England. It seems like there have been at least half dozen articles put in the last couple of months about this problem. I think that issue is alot more important to people here then Paris Hilton. I would love to see somebody blog about that issue.
"What she demonstrates is that as a society we are comfortable with two sets of rules and values: one for the rich and one for the poor."
Amen to that. I see this everyday, and it incenses me immensely. Not sure if someone's already noted this, but she's not even going to appear in person. Rather, she'll be calling in to make her "appearance." Yuck. Yuck is the sentiment that everyone has expressed about this situation, yet nothing will be done about it.
Abhi,
Thanks for speaking about this.
The worst part of the whole Paris thing is that it sends a completely wrong message to young people. I thought that her jail sentence was good because it served as a counterpoint to the effect she was having -especially on yopung pre -teen girls some of whom find her appealing.What message are they getting now? That if you are rich enough and vapid enough - no rules apply to you?
Frankly, this release surprised me because I beleived that the US judicial system was fair .I hope they throw her back in the slammer.
@Glasshouses - "Randomizer, Stories like Paris, Lohan, etc exist to sedate the public. It benefits the elite who cultivate a herd of docile consumers while the world slowly decays"
I've always wondered who buys those 'pitt and jolie break up!!!! Why Katie dumped Tom !!!!' celebrity gossip crap at the checkout counters in all these supermarkets. Teenagers ? Rich ppl ? Poor people ? Just never seen anyone pick them up yet ... I just wonder who their readers are. I guess we can't really blame news media for reporting these non-news stories so high up on their headlines... its the readers who have displayed that amount of interest in her, and you could say that the news media is 'just doing whats profitable'.
@Clueless #50 - Valid point about michelle rodriguez. I'm sure if the ppl we hold favourably - Nice guys like Matthew Fox, Rainn Wilson, Steve Carrell etc were in a similar place, we would have a certain amount of sympathy for them and wouldn't bash their early releases. But the fact that this special treatment is towards Paris Hilton (who most of us hate because she is famous without any talents ) is the root cause of our frustration :)
"glass houses @43, anyone that quotes from godfather is the shit in my book."
My pleasure. I do it all the time...I learned to make pasta sauce from watching the godfather, yunno the scene :)...I love the dialog in the car after the meeting of the dons (remember the oranges on the vast mahogany table) when Don Corleone is dropping science on Tom Hagen, "Tatalia is a pimp! he could have never have outfought Santino.." ..Amazing stuff.
Clueless, if you know California, you know that being Puerto Rican (or any Latino, for that matter) absolutely does NOT help you "get out of jail." If anything, it increases your risk of being held in prison for a longer sentence than comparable white offenders. Also, I have no idea what the back story was around Michelle Rodriguez, but did she get a DUI and get stopped TWICE for driving on a suspended license before being sentenced? If not, her situation is not fair, but it is also not comparable to Paris.
I've always wondered who buys those 'pitt and jolie break up!!!! Why Katie dumped Tom !!!!' celebrity gossip crap at the checkout counters in all these supermarkets
Er...guilty. I don't buy them, but I always look at all the covers. How else can I stay on top of all the Hollywood gossip? ;)
Oh poor Paris. For the first time in her miserable entitled life, she's having to deal with things how every civilian does. She broke the law and she's got to do the time; imagine if it were any of us who got caught with liquor on our breath while exercising bad judgment to get behind a wheel -- we'd be bitchslapped so fast, it'd make our heads spin.
But seriously folks, did any of us actually think that this rich white girl was going to get the same treatment as everyone else? Puh-leese. I was fuming when the news broke on E! that she was serving an "extended sentence" under house arrest. How about if that's the case, you cut off her electricity, her money and her help staff and have her forage around for food in her own backyard?
What a dreadful wench. I wish she would just go away.
"What she demonstrates is that as a society we are comfortable with two sets of rules and values: one for the rich and one for the poor."
Amen to that. I see this everyday, and it incenses me immensely. Not sure if someone's already noted this, but she's not even going to appear in person. Rather, she'll be calling in to make her "appearance." Yuck. Yuck is the sentiment that everyone has expressed about this situation, yet nothing will be done about it.
this wouldn't have happened if she was jailed in a Red State rather than a Blue one....
Camille, the driving record of Michelle Rodriguez includes hit and run and multiple dui's and speeding tickets and driving with a suspended license. Unless I'm mistaken, her drivinig record is worse then Ms.Hilton. My comment about her being Puerto Rican, was about how people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson playing the race card with Ms.Hilton getting out early.
This all thing with Ms.Hilton makes me feel better about India Justice system. The great thing about India, is that the biggest star of Bollywood are treated no better then some no-name dalit when comes going to jail for there crimes.
I wanted to point out that the Sabhnanis (the Long Island desi couple who allegedly tortured and beat their Indonesian maids) who were featured here on SM a while back, have also been allowed home arrest, on the condition that they pay for installing all the necessary surveillance equipment. SO it's rich people of any background, not just rich whites, who can avail of special privileges.
The great thing about India, is that the biggest star of Bollywood are treated no better then some no-name dalit when comes going to jail for there crimes.
Oh, please. Let's not be naive. A big Bollywood star may get arrested in India, but the treatment he receives from the police is going to be a lot different than some no-name person off the street. The stories you hear about police brutality in India are not all made up.
Furthermore, the Indian criminal justice system is notorious for its slowness. There are prisoners in the Indian penal system who have now been in jail longer awaiting trial than the actual sentence would have been for their crime.
I dont think it is breakdown of the system. The system has its faults sure.
I can see it as a miscarriage of justice.
Guantanamo is a pox on a decent civil society as is Paris.
But I would think they are different in their nature.
Guantanamo(however wrongheaded it might be) is targeted towards 'enemy combatants'(who, last I checked, are not
US citizens) while Paris is a US citizen. That categorization itself makes a difference in their treatment.
glass houses, i remeber it all dude! my favorite is when michael corleone is talking to his sister's husband at the end of the movie before he kills him. i honestly don't beleive michael knew which if any family hired the bro in law. he just bluffed it, until the bro in law confessed. (i'm actually embarrased for not knowing his name at the moment.)
tell me something, you like the third one right?
@Camille #57 : " But the fact that this special treatment is towards Paris Hilton (who most of us hate because she is famous without any talents ) is the root cause of our frustration
No way. "
Are you saying that if Russel Peters got his sentence converted to house arrest for 40 days, you would be equally as pissed off ? At least I would be more forgiving towards comedians/actors of my fav shows(Lost,Heroes,Office) than a no-talent celebrity like Paris Hilton. I think this is merely human nature, to be more forgiving of people you like than people you dislike.
Ofcourse the law should view everyone as equal, and I do not contest that at all... I would still be angry at the preferential treatment to celebrities, but I would definitely not be as pissed off if it were our good ol' Russel instead of Hilton.
Clueless, then her ass shoulda been in jail, too.
Aside: Am I missing a crucial link? I thought you could be classified as an enemy combatant AND be a U.S. citizen. Wasn't this the legal question at issue re: Jose Padilla and John Walker Lind (sp?)? Although, until recently, at least officially being a non-citizen was not supposed to include a complete waiver of your entitlement to U.S. civil liberties while on U.S. soil. Whooo Zagvydis v. Davis.
"nervous breakdown" ??
Oh puhleez, it sounds more like she was throwing tantrums, this somehow makes me think of Li'l Kim didn't she actually have to do all of the jail time ?
"This all thing with Ms.Hilton makes me feel better about India Justice system. The great thing about India, is that the biggest star of Bollywood are treated no better then some no-name dalit when comes going to jail for there crimes"
Well I don't know so much about that.. Sanjay Dutt did jail time, never heard of Salman Khan doing the same even though he was clearly involved in a drunk-driving hit and run incident. You could say Dutt's crime was bigger, however something makes me think that religion has still more to do with who gets special treatment.
Rich- yes
White- NO!
I am tired of seeing us take hits on someone just becuse he/she is white. Thats plain stupid! It also shows a certain level of insecurity, I see that trend in almost all minorities,Asians, Blacks..everyone seems to have a limiting belief that the white folks are been given an unfair advantage. I've seen it more so prevelant amongst our desi women escpecially if you are seen with a slightly mor e attractive women from another race, there will be a snide remark on the lines of " so our asses weren't good enoough for you or what?" OK now I am going to get some hate mail but so be it :)
Bottom line is she got away because she is rich Period. I have to say theres a divide in the US of A, you're rich you get treated differently and then there's everyone else.
Lets say that you were in jail for the same reason Paris was (or any reason for that matter), and your lawyers figured out a way to get you out of jail early, be it 20 days or 20 minutes. I'd take it in a heartbeat and I defy anyone to tell me they would choose to stay in jail. Whether its right or wrong, her legal team served their client well.
If you really wanted to punish Paris, quit paying attention to her.
Not sure of the EXACT figure but from what I can remember, Sanjay Dutt already spent 20-21 months in jail regarding this case.
This really is despicable. What is wrong with this country?
Celebrities really are above the law. Especially rich, white celebrities.
A system is only as good as the people running it. Oh, sure, the founding fathers wanted to make sure the ship would still be sailing smooth even with "an unenlightened statesmen" at the helm. But my oh my, the past eight years have put that intention to the test. The system isn't perfect (no system ever is), but when you've got a bunch of stooges running the show like we do now, those little imperfections widen and become chasms. And when you've got chasms in the system, rest assured the bottom half is going to fall in.
Anyway, here's to hoping that she is returned to jail. (incidentally, Abhi, you forget to mention that her original sentence of 45 days was shortened to around 26 :) )
kannan, not true. There are huge RACIAL disparities in sentencing. While money is a factor as well, you cannot ignore the role of race. Perhaps this is less applicable when talking about celebrities, but it is certainly applicable to the rest of the population, be they (in)famous or not.
Yes,I am sure a millionaire personal injury trial lawyer like John Edwards who got rich chasing ambulances is real cut up about the state of American Society.
At the Asian Law Caucus' annual dinner, Muneer Ahmad talked about his work with Guantanamo detainees. Then yesterday, my friend mentioned Paris Hilton's release, and my brown sense started tingling, but I hadn't put the two together until reading this.
Good work.
this is largely so because judges have wide discretion in forming the sentence. sure, there are sentencing guidelines - but in most cases, these are not hard and fast rules, and the 'facts and circumstances' method that the law favours means that judges have wide latitude in fashioning a sentence that may be affected by both permissible and impermissible factors. i.e. as long as a judge gives a sufficiently valid legal reason for the sentence, it would be hard to show that some impermissible factor like race or wealth influenced the decision.
If by limiting you mean, correlating with the truth, then yes I agree
Heh, Heh...Which India are you talking about,this one?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article1867912.ece
ak, while it is hard to PROVE that race/wealth affected sentencing, that doesn't mean that there aren't disparities, and that these disparities generally disadvantage lower-income people and people of color. There are a ton of factors at play - the latitude in sentencing, attitudes of juries, lack of funds and the reliance on pro bono service providers who may be overworked, etc., etc. There can be many causes, but the outcome remains.
camille, of course - that's why i said 'show.' the reality is something different. but any decent lawyer or judge knows how to keep all of that off the record. and that's usually why they will find at least one legally valid reason to go on record with - to uphold that there was, on the record, a permissible factor in the sentence created. as we are so very well taught in law school : no proof = no consequences.
i just read that the sheriff's department is the one that converted her sentence from prison to house arrest. i honestly thought there was a judicial decision to this, but apprently there wasn't. wtf? i don't even know how it's possible for a sheriff to have the jurisdiction to change a judicial decision. i hope somebody at the sheriff's department gets their ass fired.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1905926.ece
The decision to allow her to complete her sentence in the comfort of her own home for “medical reasons” was met with outrage. Public denunciations flowed from the sheriff’s deputies union, members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, civil rights leaders, defence attorneys and, most crucially, from Judge Sauer himself, the judge who originally sentenced the hotel heiress to jail time.When he learned of the decision by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to release Hilton early, he demanded that she return to court, where she may be sent back to jail today
this is largely so because judges have wide discretion in forming the sentence. sure, there are sentencing guidelines - but in most cases, these are not hard and fast rules, and the 'facts and circumstances' method that the law favours means that judges have wide latitude in fashioning a sentence that may be affected by both permissible and impermissible factors
But with the federal sentencing guidelines, judges always seem to complain about how it deprives them of judicial discretion. A federal district court judge where I live even got into serious trouble for openly advocating the federal sentencing guidelines be tossed.
The sentencing guidelines in most states are a bit of a mess too, so although judges do have significant discretion at the state level, they are somewhat limited by the "mandatory minimum" sentences in most states.
Camille:
Reg: #67 : Aside: Am I missing a crucial link? I thought you could be classified as an enemy combatant AND be a U.S. citizen. Wasn't this the legal question at issue re: Jose Padilla and John Walker Lind (sp?)?
--> My understanding is that enemy combatants are non-US citizens(these link refers to only inmates who are from
foreign countries - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042801145_pf.html,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Guant%C3%A1namo_Bay_detainees).
Didnt US government have trouble with Padilla precisely because of that(combination of enemy combatant and US
citizen) ? When they thought that US supreme court would strike it down, they charged Padilla differently ? Plus
isnt Padilla being held at some naval brig and not Guantanamo Bay ?
So, we all agree there are 2 Americas. How about a draconian points-based system for immigration into America #1, and an anything goes policy for America #2? That way, Tancredo/Sensenbrenner are as happy as Kennedy/Boxer. Yes, I've solved that thorny issue in one fell swoop.
You are right, I don't think there is anything precluding a U.S. citizen from being declared an "unlawful" enemy combatant. What cannot be done is strip U.S. citizens of habeas corpus. Whereas that's ok for non-citizens under the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (with some kangaroo system of appeal where many of these people are not even allowed to see the evidence against them). At least, that's my understanding. Of course, the recent ruling by the military judge makes the unlawful designation look shaky, so maybe that system goes in the tank for a while too (while all the people in the system cool their heels in lovely Gitmo!).
Not exactly. OJ Simpson? :)
I think rich has most to do with it. White---maybe, but it is not so clear. Or maybe her attorney used the Chubaka defense? ;)
"If OJ was a bus driver, he wouldn't even be OJ. He'd be Orinthal the bus driver murderer" - Chris Rock
But look, one or two instances of rich non-whites getting off, doesn't take away white privilege in the criminal justice system. When Paris Hilton stands before a judge, he or she doesn't think "Hmm, I'm gonna ignore the whiteness, and focus only on the rich part, yah, because of that, she can go free"
Money can buy you lawyers, of any color.
Yep, I believe her lawyer's line was: If she's a sleaze, you must release. And I guess it worked!
If she's a skank, don't send her to the tank?
If she's a ho, you must open the (jail) door?
Okay. I need to stop.Now
She's sobbing ---
http://www.dlisted.com/
@88 hmf:
well if you have tons of money but do not bleach yourself like michael jackson, you can still get off dui sentences. if you are white but poor, you still get into jail. so rich probably has more to do with it, isn't it?
note that i am not saying there is no notion of white privilege---all i am saying is that in this case, i don't think her whiteness is probably not the dominant reason she got away. in a sense hiltons are old money---they couldn't have been that if they were not white. but that is indirect.
well, in OJ's case, money bought lawyers, who bought a favourable jury
hema, yes, there are minimum sentencing guidelines, but i do think judges still have wide latitude. when i was working for a (federal) judge, it never seemed to be an issue at sentencing. here, for example, i don't think jail was required - it seems that probation or house arrest or something to do with driving privileges would have sufficed. but i think something happened during the hearing to really piss off the judge.
Sure, but not at the disproportionate rate the non-whites who are poor get into jail. Ceteris Paribus. Money can buy you class privilege, but that can be yanked at any point.
How is that indirect? She did jack sh*t to earn the money she has, so all her money comes from coming out of a rich, white p*ssy, I don't see how you can get more direct than that.
Thanks Rahul and Krishnan, I think my understanding was similar, but I wasn't really clear (in my own head) about how I got there.
it seems that probation or house arrest or something to do with driving privileges would have sufficed. but i think something happened during the hearing to really piss off the judge.
Heh. One of my law professors would repeatedly say "whatever you do, don't annoy the decision-maker." Judges do get pissed off pretty easily. The judge I worked for was pretty laid back most of the time, but a few things could really set him off...like cell phones.
see it this way---if you want the perks she has got, getting rich than bleaching yourself is the smarter way to go.
see, i have never said there is no notion of white privilege. so i am not contesting this:
but money is an equalizer of sorts. and that what you can infer from her case is that money can buy you quite a bit. in any case, i hate paris hilton. so far be it from me trying to defend her in any way.
true if you are pitted against someone with money and is white, you are screwed. there was never any hope in that situation to begin with.
It makes sense, since capitalism is spreading, and under that system money=power.
Money is power in any system - capitalist or otherwise. At least with free-market capitalism, you have the chance of getting some money & power. You think Castro has no money?
Paris Hilton Ordered Back to Jail
whoptido!!!! :)
i am a little disturbed at how thrilled i am to hear she back in jail. bad bytewords.
Getting rich will get you some perks, not the kind she has. and the bleaching yourself would only work if you're already at her wealth level.
Temporarily. Let's not forget, the OJ case isn't clear cut evidence that money transcends race, in the civil trial, he was found liable and in the criminal trial Johnnie Cochran argued the behavior of the LAPD was errant.
Camille, here's lookin at you kid:
"White people would do the exact same shit, cuz if it was Jerry Seinfeld, on trial for double murder... and the guy who found the glove just happened to be from the nation of islam... Jerry'd be a free man, he'd be eatin' cereal right now" -Chris Rock.
Well if it makes you feel any better the judge ordered her back to jail.
From the NYTimes : " Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ordered Paris Hilton to return to jail to serve out her original 45-day sentence, according to The Associated Press. "
Keeps getting weirder, don't it ? 23 days back to 45 ?
good judge. i know she's not so smart - but how the hell did her lawyer think she could go home before a nod from the judge?
Actually, yeah, it just made me feel a whole lot better. Best news I heard all day.
nope. she managed to get the sentence down to half before even starting it, and what she probably thought from the beginning was that she would bribe her way out---which i think is what she did when she left prison yesterday.
if people were not looking, she would have got away with it. but she has gone too far to let her have her way. so nyanyanyanyanana.
Paris Hilton. Shmaris Pilton.
At least she is spending a few weeks in jail. As opposed to Sandy Berger, the ex-Clinton aide who destroyed documents that most likely severely implicated the Clinton adminstration in the growth of Al Queda, did not even spend a single day in prison!! That, my friends, is the third America.
M. Nam
I get a sense that a lot of people find her lifestyle more punishable than her actual crimes.
If an Imran Khan can go from playboy to cranky-old-guy-mouthing-pious-nothings, why deny li’l Paree a similar career arc?
Let the hypocrisy be gender-neutral is all I’m asking.
Heh. One of my law professors would repeatedly say "whatever you do, don't annoy the decision-maker." Judges do get pissed off pretty easily. The judge I worked for was pretty laid back most of the time, but a few things could really set him off...like cell phones.
Very true about cell phones. I freaking hate judges. The day I retire from active practice of law, I will provoke a judge (it takes very little!) and when he says this or that is not allowed in my courtroom, I will turn around and say 'Your Honor, The courtroom does not belong to you. It belongs to 'we' the people. The tax payers pay for both the courtroom and your salary. Now go and fuck yourself".
shodan: gender discrimination?? there are any number of rich heiresses, none of whom get the hate paris gets---and very few would think they are any less of "players" than hilton. the reason paris gets the hate is that she has made it her career to flaunt her privilege.
and imran khan doesn't compare---his fame came with spectacular performances on the field. and i say this as an indian.
I am also dismayed by the lack of hot-or-not discussion. I mean this is one thread that’s begging for it.
Sheriff Lee Baca. Hot or not. Discuss.
Even if a judge gets provoked easily, if your speech and conduct are within the confines of the law, what can they do to you? Don't be disrespectful - but note that they don't have the right to disrespect you either. My attorney friend was just telling me this morning about a friend of his who is a very successful trial attorney in the midwest. The attorney and this judge were going back and forth. The judge threatened to hold the atty in contempt if he stepped any further out of line. The atty just smiled and said to the judge, "You can't hold me in contempt merely for my opinion." The judge said that he agreed, and that he would like to hear the attorney's opinion. The attorney said, "My opinion is the Court is an asshole." BAM.
We can't all pull that off, of course, but it's a good story. :)
I'm spellbound. Great fun. Paris is a moveable feast, indeed.
Clueless:
My dear friend you know very little about India. I wish you lived in Punjab in early 1990s.