Thursday, August 26, 2010

Lindsay Lohan's World

The Latest Injustice

Lindsay Lohan is a changed woman after her 13 days in jail and 23 days in a drug rehab program, her lawyer asserted Wednesday.  "She has learned her lesson," defense lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley told
the judge at a Wednesday morning hearing. ("Lindsay Lohan, Out of  Rehab, Has New Probation Rules," CNN, August 25 2010) It seems she can now live in her home, with conditions including counseling sessions, random drug tests, and behavioral therapy, but she will be freed from supervised probation in just over two months. The judge also dropped two drug counts in Lohan's DUI case because she had satisfied her probation requirements for those charges.

Lindsay Lohan had been sentenced to 90 days in jail and 90 days of in-patient rehab in July for violating her 2007 probation. According to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, good behavior on her part and overcrowding in L.A.'s prison system led to her early release from Lynwood.

The Record

Rehab facilities have almost served as a second home for Lohan. She first admitted herself to the Wonderland Center in January 2007 and spent 30 days there.

In the late night of May 26, 2007, Lindsay was driving around Los Angeles in her infamous Mercedes Benz convertible. She lost control of her car and swerved up onto a curb. When police went to locate the wrecked vehicle, there was more for Lindsay to worry about than the damage to her car. She had fled the scene of the accident in the totaled car and was found at a nearby emergency room. In the vehicle she'd left outside, police found what they consider to be a usable amount of cocaine. She was treated for her injuries and cited for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

After racking up this DUI arrest, she checked into the celebrity-friendly Promises Treatment Center for 45 days. (Sheila Marikar, "Lindsay Lohan Leaves Rehab," ABC News, August 25 2010) After Lohan completed 45 days of residential rehab treatment at Promises, she checked out wearing an alcohol monitoring bracelet.

Then, in July 2007 - just 10 days after leaving rehab, a call came into 911 from her then-assistant's mother, Michelle Peck. According to the police report, she was being chased by Lindsay in a car she hijacked from a group of boys at a party. The cops finally confronted Lindsay and Michelle fighting in a Santa Monica parking lot, and they tried to get Lindsay to submit to a breathalyzer test. She flat out refused but said yes to the sobriety tests given on the scene. Lohan was arrested again for DUI and driving on a suspended license. She was found with cocaine in her pockets and tried to convince cops that the pants weren't hers. (whatrumors.com, 2008)

This arrest sent Lohan to Utah's Cirque Lodge Treatment Center, where she famously staged a photo shoot with OK! magazine, which distributed pictures of her practicing yoga on the lawn and riding horseback, presumably sober.

Next in November 2007, Lindsay pleaded guilty to cocaine use and DUI, was convicted and sentenced to one day in jail, 10 days community service, three years probation, and an 18-month alcohol education program. She went on to serve exactly 84 minutes behind bars.

Following that, in January 2008, rumor had it that Lohan allegedly stole an $11,000 fur coat from Masha Markova while attending a private party at 1 Oak in NYC. After several back and forth phone calls, the coat was mysteriously returned to the rightful owner without charges being filed. (Diana Mimon, "Lindsay Lohan's Criminal Record," About.com Guide, The New York Times Company, 2010)

Also Mimon reported that in June 2009 rumors swirled that Lindsay allegedly stole $400,000 worth of Dior jewelry. She posed for Elle U.K. on June 6 and it was discovered that jewels from the photo shoot were missing. Two days later, reps from the studio went to the police and reported a pair of diamond earrings and a necklace stolen. Coincidentally, it was the same set that Lindsay wore in the photos. No charges were ever filed in the case. ("Lindsay Lohan's Criminal Record," About.com Guide, The New York Times Company, 2010)

In May 2010, when she failed to appear at a court hearing, a bench warrant was issued for Lindsay's arrest. She was partying it up at the Cannes Film Festival in France, claiming to be stuck there with her passport stolen. As quickly as it was issued, the warrant was withdrawn after her people posted the $100,000 bond.
Lohan was even issued a temporary passport and when she returned home at the end of May, a judge mandated that she wear a SCRAM device (court issued alcohol monitoring device) on her ankle.

Finally, in June 2010, Lindsay Lohan's SCRAM device was apparently set off while attending a 2010 MTV Movie Awards after party. Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel found Lindsay to be in violation of the original agreement and issued a warrant for her arrest and upped the bail to $200,000. The bond was quickly posted and the warrant was removed. The troubled starlet denied any wrongdoing and even posted a bunch of Tweets in her own defense.



The Latest Fiasco - July 2010

Before beginning her jail stint, Lohan reportedly managed to lock down post-sentence tell all interviews that will earn her seven figures. Marikar said that people should expect a major TV sitdown for Lohan once her false eyelashes and hair extensions are back in place.

In addition, Lohan's rehab run ended just in time for her to promote her latest film, Robert Rodriguez's "Machete," which hits theaters September 3. A promotional poster for the film plays up her bad girl streak, showing her in a nun's habit, licking a gun.



Justice?

Celebrity, money, fame - all contribute to the inequality of justice in America. What a price so many common people in America pay for these unfair rulings and inadequate sentences. Lindsay Lohan represents a model of infamy for those suffering from drug abuse and for those using harmful drugs. Her actions fly in the face of reason and manipulate the legal system, thus providing cause for others to expect the same soft treatment.


In the first place, few other people could afford her numerous rehab encounters. She is able to receive the best treatment time after time while others desperate for help die due to lack of resources. The false message sent is "Rehab is brief and available for all when needed." In truth, the cost of one extended stay would bankrupt most families dealing with the problem of finding help for an addict.

Also, Lohan seems incorrigible by record. Her behavior, although possibly fueled by a disorder, has manifested itself regularly. She fails to follow the law. To society in general, the time does not fit the crime. When Lindsay breaks the law and is arrested, her conviction appears as another case of punishment without "teeth" because of her status. In the end, Lohan will likely self destruct; however, one cannot wonder how many other young people see her behavior as proof that abuse is always forgiving.

1 comment:

Marlin Sayle said...

Everything happens for a reason. And we do know why this is happening to her. Whatever it is, we just hope her behavior changes go away. That way, she can start a new, healthier and cleaner life. It may be difficult at first, but I'm pretty sure that she'll become a better person someday.