The New Elite: Are celebrities treated specially when it comes to the law?

[-:Undertaker:-]

The New Elite: Are celebrities treated specially when it comes to the law?

It has often been said that there is one rule for them, and one rule for us. That saying usually applied to politicians who were caught preaching one thing in public, but doing another in private. But nowadays the feeling is often given that celebrities are the ones who are treated much more softly than a norman 'nobody' like you or me would be. Whether it's singer Pete Doherty who was brought before a court concerning drugs and it was reported that drugs then fell out of his pocket as he left the courtroom (seemingly without re-arrest) or whether it's Justin Bieber spitting on fans, spraying walls with graffiti or *apparently* sleeping with prostitutes. There's a feeling that is growing that these people are 'above' the law.

So what do you think? Are celebrities often treated differently by the court and legal system or is it just that the system is soft anyway and that we notice it more when a celebrity is left off with a slapped wrist for a crime committed?

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The debate is open to you.

[Yawn]

prostitution is legal in brazil nice try tho u little directioner rat!

[-:Undertaker:-]

prostitution is legal in brazil nice try tho u little directioner rat!

ahahaha he's still going down for writing on walls tho i hope.

*fingers crossed*

[sex]

he left the country and is safe in a country where the water isn't dangerous now thank god
i dont think he will


but no i think they are treated the same, somethings worse because they want to be used as an example to be set, when that shouldn't be the case at all. the same law should apply to them as to everyone else

the only reason they get off a lot is cause their money can buy the best legal defense ever

[Phil]

I'm not sure about this one. A lot of them are treated and given punishments as they should be but a few years ago Matthew Broderick hit a girl and her mother when driving in Ireland and got fined like 200 quid

[jorsian]

If anything I think celebrities are scrutinized even more by the public and media for breaking laws than regular, average people. If you think about it, celebrities like Lindsay Lohan are constantly making headlines for behavior that wouldn't receive a second glance from regular citizens.

As far as the bending of laws for celebrities goes, I'm not quite sure. They probably have somewhat of a sway in that "money talks". Money can get people out of most situations whether it's fair or not, and most celebrities have an abundance of it.

[Matt]

You hear about the celebrities that get arrested and then they pay some ridiculous amount for bail. But yeah i think celebrities do get treated differently and then the high end celeb cases get publicized and everyone sees it on the news. So yeah they do get treated differently in my opinion.

[-Moniquee.]

Of course celebrities are treated differently. So many celebrities are caught doing the worst things and should go to prison but they get let off or go to prison for only a fraction of time of what anyone else would go. It's horrible.

[bkps]

Obviously, celebrities get so much better treatment than 'normal' people. Usually, they just pay off their arrest and that's it. You hear about celebrities getting arrested and stuff but in the end you always hear the word 'fine', they just get fined for whatever so yeah I do think they get special treatment and i think it's too much. The whole Justin Bieber thing, prostitution is legal in Brazil but brothels aren't so...

[[Jay]]

It's difficult to say exactly because some do get off very lightly but I personally think that's down to the fact that they can afford good lawyers who know their way around the legal system and hence get a lighter punishment than the average person. I think the days of celebrities getting special treatment with the law are long gone because of the amount of media scrutiny, matter fact I think we will begin to see celebrities getting a more severe punishment just to set an example.