Celebrities Who Break the Law
Should They Face Stricter Penalties?
My Opinion
Celebrities who break the law should face stricter penalties. It seems like whenever a well-known celebrity breaks the law in any way, they never go to jail, and they can just pay off the bail. Celebrities should face jail time whenever they do something serious, not just a fine of a few hundred thousand dollars. To them, a few hundred thousand dollars is chump change.
Celebrities are Role Models
Celebrities are role models, and when they break the law, it makes the people who follow them regularly think that it is OK to do a serious crime, and when the celebrity only faces a petty fine, it makes it look easy to get away with a crime, when it really isn't if you aren't a celebrity.
Celebrities Have More Money
Celebrities typically have more money than other people. This is why they should be punished more when it comes to a fine. A large fine of $50,000 may seem like a lot to a normal person, however, $50,000 to most millionaire celebrities is like nothing. This is why they should pay more fines, think around the area of $1 million.
Celebrities are Equal to Other People
Remember, celebrities are people too. Just because they might be starring in the next movie or playing in the next big game, if they get caught with cocaine, they need to face the full punishment. However, for most celebrities, this is not the case.
Justin Bieber
When Justin Bieber went to jail, he was there for a very short time. Short enough where he was smiling in his mugshot.
Pay To Stay Jail
When celebrities go to jail, most stay at 'pay to stay jails'. These jails include nice amenities, like TVs for the price of a 5-star hotel.
Lindsay Lohan
In 2013, Lindsay Lohan went to jail for violating her drunk driving probation. She paid the bail of 75,000, but wasn't really impacted by that fine.
Celebrities Should Face Stricter Penalties
As you can see, celebrities are treated with the silver spoon when it comes to breaking the law. They have way more money than us, to pay what is to them small fines, and above all, they are role models for a lot of people, mostly kids, and are teaching them that it's OK to break the law. These celebrities should face stricter penalties when they commit a serious crime.
Citing my sources
"Should celebrities face stricter penalties when they commit crimes?".debate.org. 2015. Dec. 8, 2015. http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-celebrities-face-stricter-penalties-when-they-commit-crimes
Huffington Post. "California's Prison 'Pay-To-Stay Option Offers 'Quieter' Rooms for $155 A Day." Huffington Post. 7/28/13. Dec. 9, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/28/california-prison-pay-to-stay_n_3667573.html
Alan Duke. "Lindsay Lohan Goes to Jail on Probation Violation." CNN. 9/27/2013. Dec. 10, 2015. http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/04/22/california.lindsay.lohan.case/
Maggie Coughlan. "Lindsay Lohan Adds Sixth Mugshot To Collection." People.com. 3/20/2013. Dec. 10, 2015. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20683617,00.html