did Paris's connections buy her way out of jail?

maybe. it turns out the sheriff got campaign donations from the Hilton family (as well as other celebs)..

i don't even really want to beat up on her. really.. i've had a DUI, TWO to be exact... after paying a lawyer $5K i ended up with a reduced sentence of 10 days, which i served on weekends. she's on her first DUI offense. here in florida, that'll get you a six-month license suspension, plus about 50 hours community service, and about a year's probation. during this probation period, you pledge not to break the law, or drink or do drugs. if you're caught 'slipping', the judge can throw the book at you. that's one good reason why it makes me scratch my head why the sheriff would release her to her house. my guess is that, without a warrant, nobody's going to show up there to see if she's complying with the terms of her probation.

i'm so torn on this. on one hand, i've gone through the DUI wringer, and i know what a life-changer it can be...i used to be a constant drunk driver, and now i'm trying to get everyone to call cabs, ride bikes, etc.... i have even become an avid bike rider, and plan to continue this way even after a 5-year suspension of my license has been completed. on the other hand, i really don't think it's appropriate to impose harsh sentences on celebrities, even if it is for the "good" of society. this is what gets me...i really do think that the obsession with the likes of paris, lindsay, nicole richie et. al...do have an effect on the culture, especially our young women. washington post editorial writer eugene robinson just wrote an interesting piece on paris' ability to not only dominate the tabloid media, but also the mainstream media. her whole courtroom/jail dilemma dominated the news the other day, when there was tons of REAL important stuff going down.

but, then, the judge had to be aware that al sharpton was about to get on the case, and start examining just how many prisoners in LA jails might have medical conditions easily as 'severe' as paris', to see what the justice system might have to say about THAT. i actually APPLAUD the reverend for this.... plus, you add in the fact that Sen. Obama is talking on the campaign trail about a "quiet riot" taking place in the black community of america....well, that might just be enough to support JUDICIAL ACTIVISM.