2008 Woodie Awards
All's Fair If You Can Pay
All you need is cash, cash is all you need.
Robert Finkel, Special to the Star
Issue date: 3/2/05 Section: Opinion
Imagine, on the day of your court appearance, your adversary, accompanied by news cameras, press agent, fans and top-drawer lawyers was soaking up admiration from the judge and jury!
Preferential treatment for celebrities like O.J., Kobe, and presumably Michael in his upcoming trial goes hand in hand with the fascination that California, if not all of America, has with the royalty of this generation - sports superstars, movie and music personalities and increasingly, their highly paid lawyers.
From an objective view of several cases that involved celebrity defendants, in almost every courtroom the power of being famous - and rich - helped the celebrity and probably got them acquitted.
The upcoming trial of pop superstar Michael Jackson on child molestation charges seems to be tempered by its central California location, but there is every liklihood that the media circus will be even more overwhelming than the Simpson trial.
Any bets on how many jurors hold out for a Jackson acquittal?
Of course, Jackson may not be guilty and prosecutor Tom Sneddon's case may be very weak, riddled with tainted witnesses.
There is no question that O.J. Simpson's enormous financial resources enabled him to hire the best legal team. The general belief that O.J. was guilty of double murder has become a joke that is now part of our pop culture. So, too, his guilty verdict in civil court.
Kobe Bryant, who also spent a lot of money on attorneys, did not have to stand trial. But fans and many sports observers insisted he was innocent.
It is our constitutional guarantee to enjoy a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, but modern American courts are not aggressive in assuring this presumption. This is proven time after time by the release of hundreds of innocent 'murderers' incarcerated for years; an embarrassing situation for the American justice system, which prides itself on fairness.
Robert Downey, Jr. was given four chances at rehabilitation before he was sent to prison. This is not the case with your average citizen when he is discovered sleeping and in possession of a firearm in a neighbor's spare bedroom.
Surely, no one believes that if they are represented by a public defender they will get the legal moves on the level of Cochran and Shapiro.
Yes, Martha Stewart drew a short jail term; in my opinion this was one case that was over-prosecuted. Maybe because she was a celebrity, the courts decided to make an example of her. I think it would have been better to assess a fine administratively.
Wealth and fame help in life, and it helps to get the star billing in court, too.
Preferential treatment for celebrities like O.J., Kobe, and presumably Michael in his upcoming trial goes hand in hand with the fascination that California, if not all of America, has with the royalty of this generation - sports superstars, movie and music personalities and increasingly, their highly paid lawyers.
From an objective view of several cases that involved celebrity defendants, in almost every courtroom the power of being famous - and rich - helped the celebrity and probably got them acquitted.
The upcoming trial of pop superstar Michael Jackson on child molestation charges seems to be tempered by its central California location, but there is every liklihood that the media circus will be even more overwhelming than the Simpson trial.
Any bets on how many jurors hold out for a Jackson acquittal?
Of course, Jackson may not be guilty and prosecutor Tom Sneddon's case may be very weak, riddled with tainted witnesses.
There is no question that O.J. Simpson's enormous financial resources enabled him to hire the best legal team. The general belief that O.J. was guilty of double murder has become a joke that is now part of our pop culture. So, too, his guilty verdict in civil court.
Kobe Bryant, who also spent a lot of money on attorneys, did not have to stand trial. But fans and many sports observers insisted he was innocent.
It is our constitutional guarantee to enjoy a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, but modern American courts are not aggressive in assuring this presumption. This is proven time after time by the release of hundreds of innocent 'murderers' incarcerated for years; an embarrassing situation for the American justice system, which prides itself on fairness.
Robert Downey, Jr. was given four chances at rehabilitation before he was sent to prison. This is not the case with your average citizen when he is discovered sleeping and in possession of a firearm in a neighbor's spare bedroom.
Surely, no one believes that if they are represented by a public defender they will get the legal moves on the level of Cochran and Shapiro.
Yes, Martha Stewart drew a short jail term; in my opinion this was one case that was over-prosecuted. Maybe because she was a celebrity, the courts decided to make an example of her. I think it would have been better to assess a fine administratively.
Wealth and fame help in life, and it helps to get the star billing in court, too.
