Lindsay Lohan…what do you think of when you hear that name? I think of the phrase “what a waste!” Here was a young lady who had everything going for her career-wise and she let herself get in the way.
Originally she was charged with a DUI. Here in Arizona a first time DUI offender receives the following sentence:
- 10 days in jail with 9 of those days suspended if they successfully complete probation (meaning they do what they are ordered to do);
- their license is suspended for 90 days;
- they have to use an ignition interlock device on any vehicle they drive for a year;
- they have to pay a fine of around 250.00 (which is increased to around 500.00 when a surcharge is added);
- attend an alcohol screening class; and
- pay another 1,000.00 to two other “funds.”
If the person violates their probation or doesn’t do one of the above, the Court can pull them back into court and sentence them to more jail time (up to 6 months in jail for a first time DUI), or add additional terms to the sentence. In my experience the defendant has to screw up a lot or big in order to be sentenced to more jail time. Clearly the Judge in LiLo’s case thought she did.
In LiLo’s case she was sentenced to probation, which included alcohol treatment classes and random drug tests, for DUI and Reckless Driving. All she had to do was follow the terms and conditions of her probation /sentence and she would be fine. Thousands of others are able to do that on a daily basis, so why couldn’t she? Clearly this was too much to ask of her. If you ask me, I think she is too spoiled, delusional, disrespectful and egotistical to do what she has been ordered to do. I am not going to blame her mother or her attorney. She is an adult and responsible for herself – no more excuses.
And the fingernail incident, are you kidding me? That has to be one of the most arrogant, stupid and disrespectful actions I have ever seen a defendant take. Trust me, that little stunt will forever be in the Judge’s mind and if LiLo messes up again, this will come back to bite her. The Judge probably won’t say she took this stunt into consideration but the Judge is human and how can it not.
After finding that Lindsay in fact did violate her probation, Judge Marsha Revel sentenced her to 90 days in jail followed by another 90 days in an inpatient rehabilitation program. The evidenced presented at the hearing proved that LiLo failed to attend her alcohol education classes numerous times, was uncooperative with those trying to help her, and failed to attend court when required to do so (Remember the Cannes Film Festival and the stolen passport? Oh please). This lack of complete disrespect should be punished. I would be surprised if someone here in AZ would be sentenced to 90 days, but considering her history, it is possible.
Although I was not able to watch the entire hearing (it was replayed on Tru TV), with what I did see I thought her attorney did as good of a job as she could have. Sometimes being a lawyer means that you have to try to be a janitor and clean up the mess your client made. There was really no way that LiLo’s attorney could have cleaned up this mess. How can an attorney be expected to explain away LiLo’s complete lack of respect for the system and the Judge? She simply cannot. The violations were obvious and clear, LiLo messed up and now has to pay the consequences.
Lohan surrendered on July 20th at Judge Revel’s court. I have no sympathies for her and she gets what she deserves. Two words Lilo – GROW UP
Monica is a former prosecutor and a current civil litigator and criminal defense attorney in Phoenix, Arizona. She is also a familiar face on television providing legal commentary on networks such as Fox News, CNN and ABC. She and her husband had an amazingly beautiful in July 2008. Read about all their first and how this professional mom learns to handle the boss in the house.
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What a waste is the perfect summation. She is a miserable. entitled, little brat. Grow up indeed.
I can’t help but to sit and read this and think how sad this is really. This girl is living with something she will live with for the rest of her life and it’s called addiction. Whether she goes to jail for 1 day or 10 years she will still be an addict. She needs help, and all this bs publicity is just mindless………
Omg, I think you read my mind. The problem is these celebrities get away with so much that they start to believe they’re entitled to special treatment. Um, no… The law should be equal across the board. Had Jane Brown appeared in court with freshly “manicured” nails, I’m almost certain there would have been some sort of repercussions. I think she did it on purpose because she thought she’d walk and then she could come out flashing her nails. *sigh*
It is just so sad. And really sad to me that there are plenty of other people in her situation… your life gets off track at such a young age and it is hard to put it back on track. There’s nothing wrong with drinking and partying — except when it becomes situations like this. So sad.
I have no sympathy for people like her. Your that stinking rich–if you need to party that much take a cab or rent a limo. The rest of poor folks just stay home and party with our friends–who are invited to stay the night if they cant drive.
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