Staying at the Hilton vs Going to Jail

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  • Thread starter Surrealist
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In summary, Paris Hilton's recent jail sentence for violating probation has caused a media frenzy and sparked various opinions about her fame and character. Some make jokes about her, while others question why the media pays so much attention to her. Despite her release from jail after only three days, many believe she deserved to be punished for her actions. However, some argue that she has been unfairly judged and held to unrealistic standards, and that her fame and success in the entertainment industry should be recognized. Regardless of one's opinion, it is clear that Paris Hilton's name will continue to be a topic of discussion for some time.

What should be done about Paris Hilton?

  • Throw the book at her! Give her the maximum sentence!

    Votes: 43 93.5%
  • Let her off the hook. She's too pretty for a place like jail.

    Votes: 3 6.5%

  • Total voters
    46
  • #36
Math Is Hard said:
Perhaps withholding the hollandaise sauce would make the meal sufficiently austere?
What?! No hollendaise? Next you'll be saying that she can't have beluga caviar on toast points as her appetizer! You are cruel and vindictive, and you don't appreciate how critically important this goddess is to our culture! :devil:
 
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  • #37
turbo-1 said:
When the wealthy and the privileged get special consideration from our governmental entities, there is always good reason to point that out. If you are heir to billions, you can do just about anything you want in this country and people like yourself will make excuses about how "hard" it is for the wealthy to cope with their positions. I'm sorry, but "sycophant for spoiled billionaire heiresses" is not in my job description. I'm not rich, but my wife and I are comfortable and we have made every cent we own the old-fashioned way. You can bet your butt that if either of us had broken the law and then violated conditions of parole, we'd be doing the whole sentence just like any other citizen. Paris Hilton is not royalty, and she is no better than any other person in this country, and deserves no better treatment in the courts and penal system. Has the Constitution been rewritten recently?

No. I have a relative who was recently released much earlier for a somewhat similar offense. Worse, there was some domestic violence involved. Thus, I would be quite willing to bet my butt accordingly.

No one has any right to judge her, the conditions for her early release, or her acquisition of wealth, other than the judge/jury who sentenced her. So yes, I will happily make those excuses in her defense. A billionaire has every right to be treated respectfully on our level. I've seen similar attacks on her honor long before any crimes had been committed. This makes me cynical that the fact she broke the law is even relevant. I lost some respect for her conduct, but I have no recourse but to leave it up to the system to deal with her. And I don't believe anyone here is in much position to put the system on trial for the results of her trial.

And there's that word "spoiled" again. A working woman, who's richer than most everyone around us, is spoiled. Uh huh.
 
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  • #38
I heard she got time off for good behavior. Apparently she behaved very very well. Charles Manson could take a lesson. Paris, lead the way.
 
  • #39
russ_watters said:
You're saying you don't believe that's her real personality. Fine. If she's really a completely different person than how she acts on TV, then you're right that everyone is judging her too harshly. But on what do you base the belief that she's really a different person than how she acts on TV? Everything we know about her off-air personality fits with her on-air personality.

From interviews and off-air appearances, I don't get for a second the same kind of woman. Production notes. Just like how Simon Cowell is seen as a jerk on TV, it's all about production notes. In a Playboy Magazine interview, he described how crazy his life is because people think what they see of him on American Idol, they expect the same treatment when they approach him at a restaurant or on the street. They sing and he comments how nice that was. And the strangers are surprised and were expecting him to cast an insult. As he explains, after a twelve hour work day of auditions, you can guess which ones end up on the twenty minutes at night. And wouldn't you know, he's not even acting.

But let's go with your description anyways, assigning that personality as genuine. I hope you don't really believe she'd intentionally goof off at every work place, and beg some stranger to take her in for the night.

She's a television producer. She has countless fans. And she has my support. Can you please try to look past the image you see on the television? She's not a bad person. She has faults, she's broken the law, and she's suffering even more from the attacks across the country. No amount of money or expensive wine will ease those wounds.
 
  • #40
Mallignamius said:
And there's that word "spoiled" again. A working woman, who's richer than most everyone around us, is spoiled. Uh huh.
How old are you? 15? Rich kids get ready-made "careers" in acting music, etc, built by publicists and hacks every day. Jerry Lewis' son Gary absolutely could not sing, nor could he even approximate the correct pitch, so the Playboys were recruited as a full-blown band, and they dropped the little Lewis' vocals into the background so you couldn't even hear him (though if you listen to "This Diamond Ring" you can hear a whiney, nasally, off-key voice in the background). Still the band became a brief hit with lots of publicity and a gullible public, including pre-teen girls who were convinced that Gary could actually sing. It's pathetic. Paris Hilton's "talent" is not in acting, singing, perfumery, or any other productive enterprise. Her "talent" is being fantastically wealthy and keeping herself in the press with the help of publicists and their obedient papparazzi. And yes, the word "spoiled" should be permanently affixed to her name. She has taken no responsibility for her legal transgressions and expects no consequences. The wealth of her family practically ensures that her expectations will be met. She's a slug.
 
  • #41
turbo-1 said:
How old are you? 15? Rich kids get ready-made "careers" in acting music, etc, built by publicists and hacks every day. Jerry Lewis' son Gary absolutely could not sing, nor could he even approximate the correct pitch, so the Playboys were recruited as a full-blown band, and they dropped the little Lewis' vocals into the background so you couldn't even hear him (though if you listen to "This Diamond Ring" you can hear a whiney, nasally, off-key voice in the background). Still the band became a brief hit with lots of publicity and a gullible public, including pre-teen girls who were convinced that Gary could actually sing. It's pathetic. Paris Hilton's "talent" is not in acting, singing, perfumery, or any other productive enterprise. Her "talent" is being fantastically wealthy and keeping herself in the press with the help of publicists and their obedient papparazzi. And yes, the word "spoiled" should be permanently affixed to her name. She has taken no responsibility for her legal transgressions and expects no consequences. The wealth of her family practically ensures that her expectations will be met. She's a slug.

I'm 33 years old. You can see my age by clicking my user name and reviewing my public profile. And that's irrelevant.

She turned herself into the jail. That's not taking responsibility for her legal transgressions?

Judging her talent will be a peculiar debate, I think. I suppose people could suggest that her wealth got her into movies and television shows, and who knows why people would tune into watch her series, for more than one season, since she doesn't have any talent. Never mind her fan base, either. Maybe she's enjoying the attention she gets around her. Not that this would be abnormal.

It's not her fault that she's rich. She has every right to her money. For her wealth, no one can justify a complaint. I'm hearing only envy.

Aren't there far worse people in the world to be crass about? Surely there must be one...

I propose that the mature response to her behavior and... wealth... is that if anyone doesn't like her, they should just ignore her. There are far more important things in the world to get upset over. A billionaire airhead who drove intoxicated isn't high on my list.
 
  • #42
She turned herself into the jail. That's not taking responsibility for her legal transgressions?

Hilton had little choice - she would have been arrested otherwise.

In September 2006, she was arrested for driving under the influence and subsequently sentenced to 36 months probation and had her license suspended. In February 2007, she was stopped for driving at 70 mph in a 35 mph zone and charged with violating her probation. Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail, but only served three days, with the rest of the time reassigned to home confinement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Hilton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Hilton#Drunk_Driving_Conviction

I was visiting a friend recently and while he was channel surfing, we caught a blurb about Hilton's latest reality show - something about Camp and Simple Life :rolleyes: Anyway she made a brilliant comment with something to the effect that "flirting increases the heart rate".

Civic involvement
In November 2004, Hilton participated in Sean "Diddy" Combs' Citizen Change campaign to encourage youths to vote in the presidential election. She drew criticism after it was revealed she had neither voted nor registered to do so.
:tongue:
 
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  • #43
Mallignamius said:
I'm 33 years old. You can see my age by clicking my user name and reviewing my public profile. And that's irrelevant.

She turned herself into the jail. That's not taking responsibility for her legal transgressions?
No. She turned herself in as you or I would have had to do (had we not been picked up by the police) to serve her term. When she was charged with violating the terms of her parole, she laid the blame off to other people (her underlings). She is a slug.

Mallignamius said:
Judging her talent will be a peculiar debate, I think. I suppose people could suggest that her wealth got her into movies and television shows, and who knows why people would tune into watch her series, for more than one season, since she doesn't have any talent. Never mind her fan base, either. Maybe she's enjoying the attention she gets around her. Not that this would be abnormal.
Her "talent" will take her nowhere - she is buying careers based on her ability to pay for air-time.

Mallignamius said:
It's not her fault that she's rich. She has every right to her money. For her wealth, no one can justify a complaint. I'm hearing only envy.
You're not hearing envy from here. I worked my way through college playing frat parties, etc, fronting rock/blues bands, and I hosted open-mike blues jams at local pubs for many years after I had any real need of the money, in part because there are lots of young folks who need to play with experienced musicians so they can progress rapidly.

Mallignamius said:
Aren't there far worse people in the world to be crass about? Surely there must be one...

I propose that the mature response to her behavior and... wealth... is that if anyone doesn't like her, they should just ignore her. There are far more important things in the world to get upset over. A billionaire airhead who drove intoxicated isn't high on my list.
Pointing out the privileged treatment that a rich, spoiled, airhead, billionaire heiress has received is an exercise in good government. It doesn't matter that there are other things that demand our attention, and it does not deflect from the outrage that people should feel from this perversion of our legal system. I hate the "war on terror" being perpetrated against the Iraqis, and the restrictions on our freedoms authorized by the Patriot Act, and other political atrocities, and I advocate for freedom. I also advocate against the oligarchy, under which the wealthy operate under a different set of rules than the poor and middle-class. I'm sorry if you cannot appreciate this situation.
 
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  • #45
turbo-1 said:
No. She turned herself in as you or I would have had to do (had we not been picked up by the police) to serve her term. When she was charged with violating the terms of her parole, she laid the blame off to other people (her underlings). She is a slug.
I concede that she did not take responsibility. I was wrong about that.

Her "talent" will take her nowhere - she is buying careers based on her ability to pay for air-time.
Even if she was buying an acting career, it is a successful one. Getting a television show past one season is an accomplishment on its own.

You're not hearing envy from here. I worked my way through college playing frat parties, etc, fronting rock/blues bands, and I hosted open-mike blues jams at local pubs for many years after I had any real need of the money, in part because there are lots of young folks who need to play with experienced musicians so they can progress rapidly.
That was poorly expressed on my part. I didn't get the impression of envy from you. I intended a broader coverage, given what I read and hear at large.

Pointing out the privileged treatment that a rich, spoiled, airhead, billionaire heiress has received is an exercise in good government. It doesn't matter that there are other things that demand our attention, and it does not deflect from the outrage that people should feel from this perversion of our legal system. I hate the "war on terror" being perpetrated against the Iraqis, and the restrictions on our freedoms authorized by the Patriot Act, and other political atrocities, and I advocate for freedom. I also advocate against the oligarchy, under which the wealthy operate under a different set of rules than the poor and middle-class. I'm sorry if you cannot appreciate this situation.
I think this is very commendable of you.

Yet, as I wrote earlier, I've seen similar attacks on her honor long before any crimes had been committed. This makes me cynical that the fact she broke the law is even relevant. I lost some respect for her conduct, but I have no recourse but to leave it up to the system to deal with her. And I don't believe anyone here is in much position to put the system on trial for the results of her trial.
 
  • #46
Mallignamius said:
From interviews and off-air appearances, I don't get for a second the same kind of woman.
Really? You don't get a sense of entitlement from her conduct wrt this crime? What I see is a spoiled brat who got spanked for the first time ever and is finally showing some possibly genuine humility. Prior to actually realizing she might go to jail, she acted like she thought it was a joke.
Just like how Simon Cowell is seen as a jerk on TV, it's all about production notes. In a Playboy Magazine interview, he described how crazy his life is because people think what they see of him on American Idol, they expect the same treatment when they approach him at a restaurant or on the street. They sing and he comments how nice that was. And the strangers are surprised and were expecting him to cast an insult.
Right, so he's clearly different in person than on TV. I'm just not seeing that from Paris.
But let's go with your description anyways, assigning that personality as genuine. I hope you don't really believe she'd intentionally goof off at every work place, and beg some stranger to take her in for the night.
Yes, I do.
No amount of money or expensive wine will ease those wounds.
She's sleeping in the beds her maids make for her. I think Tom Greene and Sasca Baron Cohen are jerks too. If they are actually nice people, they'll just have to accept the occupational hazard of acting like jerks on tv.
 
  • #47
russ_watters said:
Really? You don't get a sense of entitlement from her conduct wrt this crime? What I see is a spoiled brat who got spanked for the first time ever and is finally showing some possibly genuine humility.
I was responding to a comment about her work ethic and attitude. And this is what I meant when earlier I referred to how people have held her to ridiculous standards. I've lived far from a perfect life. But never would I accept a barrage of personal attacks from people who don't even know me. Because, I'll bet for 99% of them, they've been there, too.

And there's that word, "spoiled," again. I don't understand why anyone so spoiled would choose to work if they are rich enough to never work for the rest of their lives.

Yes, I do. She's sleeping in the beds her maids make for her.
Like many thousands of other people in the world.

Leave her alone. Let it go.
 
  • #48
Hilton doesn't have a a clue as to what "The Real World" is all about. She is merely white trash in a limo. A woman working as a server in a soup line has more redeeming value. Put her back in jail.
 
  • #49
edward said:
Hilton doesn't have a a clue as to what "The Real World" is all about. She is merely white trash in a limo. A woman working as a server in a soup line has more redeeming value. Put her back in jail.

She once worked in a soup line in one of her TV episodes.
 
  • #50
Mallignamius said:
She once worked in a soup line in one of her TV episodes.
:rofl:

You're yanking our chains, aren't you. :biggrin:
 
  • #51
Evo said:
:rofl:

You're yanking our chains, aren't you. :biggrin:

Nope. And the sausage-making episode was a classic. They've done things I would swiftly cringe at.
 
  • #52
Mallignamius said:
Nope. And the sausage-making episode was a classic. They've done things I would swiftly cringe at.
And they did it because they wanted to, not because it meant millions to them. Riiiiight.
 
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  • #53
I would, Evo. :smile:

For her, a billionaire, I'd think it'd have more to do with publicity at the most. If I were really cynical, I could suggest that she was building up a fan base to support her for the eventual legal problems of a wild life.

*buries head back in math book*
 
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  • #54
I really don't care who she is. She was driving drunk. Then she was driving with a suspended license while on probabation for her previous crime. She obviously has no respect for the law and this suggests that she isn't concerned with any consequences that may apply to her. She should serve the sentence that everyone else would serve. The only exception that I can see is that she might need to be treated as a prisoner with special needs. It might not be safe for her in the general population.

But really, what kind of medical condition does she have that would prevent her from being in jail? Does she have a methodone clinic in her house? From what I've read she had "medical personnel" recommend that she be removed from jail based on her condition. She refused to eat the food served to her in jail. Was this because she is too spolied to eat jail food or just can't keep it down without her 'medication?' My guess would be heroin, meth, cocaine, or some combination of any of them. Nervous breakdown... I bet.

Could there be any other medical reason that spending time in a cell would be hazardous to someone's health?
 
  • #55
She apparently was segregated from the rest of the population and only had interaction with the staff/authorities.

Why should she not suffer the consequences of her actions when others must?
 
  • #56
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PARIS_HILTON?SITE=ORLAG&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

She was sent back to jail.

Paris Hilton was taken from a courtroom screaming and crying Friday seconds after a judge ordered her returned to jail to serve out her entire 45-day sentence for a parole violation in a reckless driving case.
 
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  • #57
hahah , how can i say this , PWNED !

Btw , how is it that a sheriff can make the decision to let her off?
 
  • #58
Can you smell that? Smells like justice.

Paris has never looked so good.
 
  • #59
Astronuc said:
She apparently was segregated from the rest of the population and only had interaction with the staff/authorities.

Why should she not suffer the consequences of her actions when others must?
The only medical condition I've heard she suffers from is nymphomania, perhaps the frustration of being segregated is killing her :biggrin:
 
  • #60
There are people in jail with very serious medical conditions, and they manage to serve out their sentences under the care of the medical staffs at those jails. It is difficult to see how she might have something that can only be treated in a mansion and not in jail.
 
  • #61
After Brief Respite, Paris Hilton Goes Back to Jail
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10876299
by Carrie Kahn
All Things Considered, June 8, 2007 · Socialite Paris Hilton was ordered back to a jail in Lynwood, Calif., by a judge who ruled that her 45-day sentence must be served in the Los Angeles County facility — not in her Hollywood home. Hilton had been sent home with a tracking device Thursday, in a move officials said was due to medical reasons.

AP News Wire: Latest Headlines
Hilton Sent Back to Jail in Hysterics
from The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES June 8, 2007, 8:05 p.m. ET · Paris Hilton was sent screaming and crying back to jail Friday after a judge ruled that she must serve out her sentence behind bars rather than in the comfort of her Hollywood Hills home.

"It's not right!" shouted Hilton, who violated her probation in a reckless driving case. "Mom!" she cried out to her mother.

Hours earlier, the 26-year-old hotel heiress was taken handcuffed from her home in a black-and-white police car, paparazzi sprinting in pursuit and helicopters broadcasting live from above.

. . .
Hopefully she will learn something from this.
 
  • #62
Paris back in prison :
"it sucks to the highest degree"



:rofl:

marlon
 
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  • #63
marlon said:
Paris back in prison : "it sucks to the highest degree"

:yuck:

from
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070609/ap_on_en_tv/paris_hilton

Sauer (judge who sentenced Hilton) gave no explanation of his ruling to return Hilton back to jail, but his comments throughout the hearing indicated he was affronted by Baca's decision to set aside his instructions and release the celebutante to her Hollywood Hills home.
. . . .
Hilton's lawyers said the reason for her release was an unspecified medical condition. The judge suggested that could be taken care of at jail medical facilities.

Following the hearing, Baca said he decided to put Hilton under house arrest because he was concerned about a serious medical condition he could not disclose, though his further comments suggested psychological problems.

He said he had learned from one of her doctors that she was not taking a certain medication while she was in custody previously and her "inexplicable deterioration" puzzled county psychiatrists.
Somehow the system neglected her medical treatment! She is under psychiatric care and stopping medication could cause deterioration in one's mental state.

A lot of people who go to jail have psychological problems, and perhaps some or much of that is the result of drug and/or alcohol abuse. How does society (the community) help someone like that?
Baca charged that Hilton received a more severe sentence than normal, which he said would have been either no time in jail or being directly placed in home confinement with electronic monitoring.

"The only thing I can detect as special treatment is the amount of her sentence," the sheriff said.
. . . .
How to make the system more fair or consistent? My wife counseled drunk drivers who had 'repeated' convictions, but served little jail time. They'd get into a treatment program, as opposed to jail, but then they'd re-offend.

Despite being reincarcerated, she could still be released early. Inmates are given a day off their terms for every four days of good behavior, and her days in home detention counted as custody days. It appeared that Friday would count as her sixth day. Baca indicated she would serve about 18 more days.
And that is available to anyone.

Hilton's path to jail began Sept. 7, when she failed a sobriety test after police saw her weaving down a street in her Mercedes-Benz on what she said was a late-night run to a hamburger stand.

She pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines.

In the months that followed, she was stopped twice by officers who discovered her driving on a suspended license. The second stop landed her in Sauer's courtroom, where he sentenced her to jail.
 
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  • #64
Astronuc said:
Somehow the system neglected her medical treatment! She is under psychiatric care and stopping medication could cause deterioration in one's mental state.
No, I read yesterday that she was refusing to eat the prison food and that was the excuse her lawyer asked for her release.
 
  • #65
Evo said:
No, I read yesterday that she was refusing to eat the prison food and that was the excuse her lawyer asked for her release.
That may be one factor, and lack of medication another. Or, different people are reporting information, or ?

from the article
He said he had learned from one of her doctors that she was not taking a certain medication while she was in custody previously and her "inexplicable deterioration" puzzled county psychiatrists.
Perhaps she deliberately didn't take her medication, or didn't have it - I don't know. But at some point, without medication, one may loose control and unable to function responsibly - that is a significant consequence and downside for some mentally ill, who get out of control when they abruptly get off their meds.


Certainly she has been pampered and going to jail is probably, for her, emotionally traumatic. But then jail is traumatic for most people.
 
  • #66
From the sheriff's point of view, I think the release came down to risk management.

The judge orders that she serve the full sentence, but tacks on the typical disclaimer that whatever happens in jail is the sheriff's responsibility (at least according to the sheriff's press conference) - i.e. follow my orders, but don't do something stupid and then blame me.

Given the normal punishment for similar offenders, the risk of dealing with Hilton's medical problems and the backlash that could occur if anything happened to her while serving time beyond what the average person would serve outweighed any personal benefits the sheriff would gain by making an example of her.

As for the problem of the average person being released without serving any time, or being released after serving only part of their sentence, it's a problem a lot of communities face. People here voted down a measure that would expand the jail to meet federal guidelines - an expansion that had to occur or risk losing federal funds. The county then found a way around the vote, raising the funds by a different method; a move that ended the political careers of a few county officials - the voters expressed their will at election time and country officials defied them via devious means. That leaves early release of prisoners as the only way to keep receiving federal funds - a move that infuriates voters nearly as much as the county officials' backdoor methods. Those are the sort of things that make we wonder why any sane person would ever run for local office.
 
  • #67
Astronuc said:
:A lot of people who go to jail have psychological problems, and perhaps some or much of that is the result of drug and/or alcohol abuse. How does society (the community) help someone like that?
One can only help people who want to be helped.

While it is not easy, everybody with the right will and attitude can overcome an alcohol or drug addiction. If that will or attitude is not there there is no point in helping.

With regards to the sheriff, I think it would be a good thing to investigate if he was not given any money or other incentives. It is really strange for a sheriff to disobey explicit orders from the judge.
 
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  • #68
Astronuc said:
That may be one factor, and lack of medication another. Or, different people are reporting information, or ?
The report that she was refusing to eat was from the correctional facility personnel. It was either a tantrum or a stunt aimed at getting released. Either way the judge is correct, she has nothing wrong that can't be handled by correctional facility medical staff.
 
  • #69
MeJennifer said:
With regards to the sheriff, I think it would be a good thing to investigate if he was not given any money or other incentives. It is really strange for a sheriff to disobey explicit orders from the judge.
I was thinking the same thing.
 
  • #70
Evo said:
I was thinking the same thing.
That kept running through my head yesterday, too. Hilton's parents are super-wealthy and it would be easy for them or their lawyer to arrange favors for those in a position to get her released. It could be something really discrete and hard to track, like securing the person a really high-paying do-nothing job at a non-Hilton business after his or her term expires.
 

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