It goes without saying that no celebrity should get special treatment in the eyes of the law. But the converse is also true: None should get "let's set an example" treatment, either.
Geraldo Rivera is on Fox News (of all places) saying that he's challenging ANYONE to show him someone sentenced the way she was
for the exact violations. No one has risen to the challenge. In other words, she's getting a far harsher sentence than everyone else for the same set of circumstances.
Fair is fair. She could have just as easily learned a tough lesson by doing tons of dirty community service; stuff she isn't used to doing, even on the Simple Life. 45 days in jail is ridiculous for her. You can harp all you want about how spoiled she is or how she leads a charmed life, etc., but that makes no difference, and it's not germane. It just makes people revel in her demise. Hey, if that's a quality you're proud to own, be my guest; that's on you.
Releasing her early is certainly not without precedent in LA County. Read:
"In fact, the loss of bed space in the jails has resulted in a reduction of capacity from its recent peak 22,214 to its present 17,400. This reduction has forced the Sheriff to release thousands of inmates from the jails before completing their sentences."
Sourced:
http://lacounty.info/bos/sop/supdocs/15168.pdf
I've spent a night in jail, thank you, and it's no place anyone wants to go to, much less someone who obviously can't handle it, like her. I am far from saying she shouldn't be punished. I AM saying this judge had many options available to him that would have taught her the lesson she so badly needed while not including jail. With gangs running rampant in LA spreading drugs and violence (and remaining free from incarceration), give a moment to think about the priorities here. It's ludicrous.