Remember when Paris Hilton got out of jail after 30 days for her DUI sentence, she swore she was going to be a better person and volunteer and go to Africa and stuff? But none of that’s happened. Nick Hogan said similar after his time in jail – but he’s claiming he already is a better person. Jail made him a better person. That’s pretty impressive, and makes me think we should send more celebrities to jail to make them be better people. Now Nick hasn’t actually done anything that makes the rest of us believe he’s a good guy in any way. But a lot of people think just describing yourself as good is the same as being good.

Anyhoo, Nick says that while jail made him a little angel, it was also (surprisingly) horrible. And it still “haunts” him. Dramatic things like hearing a gate close can give him “the willies.” And everyone there was just really cold to him. Can you imagine guards and fellow inmates didn’t smile warmly whenever Nick passed in front of them, and didn’t wrap him in cuddly blankets and embrace him whenever he was feeling down? Rough stuff.

Nick Hogan is still “haunted” by prison. The “Hogan Knows Best” star – who spent almost six months of an eight month sentence in jail last year for causing a car crash in 2007 – says he is still affected by his time inside Pinellas County Jail in Florida.

He said: “There are moments that haunt me to this day.

“There are times when I’ll be watching a prison movie and hear the sound of a gate slamming, and I get the willies. It was horrible.” The 19-year-old TV star added being away from his family was the hardest part of prison, but that htey [sic] helped him through his ordeal.
He explained: “Time away from my family was the most difficult part of my sentence. One of the things which makes you feel comforted is talking to a family member. But you don’t have a phone – you have to wait until it’s your time of the day to call. You miss being able to connect with people because everyone there is just cold, just brutal.”

Nick insists his sentence – which also saw his driving license suspended for three years, and him put on five years’ probation and ordered to carry out 500 hours of community service – has changed him for the better. He added to Life and Style magazine: “Jail was definitely one of the worst experiences, but it was also one of the best things that ever happened to me – just because of how much it changed me.”

[From Contact Music]

Alright I’m out of snide comments. Not because anything Nick said changed my mind about him or I think he’s an okay guy or anything. I firmly believe he sucks as a human being, and will continue to suck for the rest of his days. But I’m sure that I’ve leveled every bitter, mocking comment that can be put together using the English language at Nick. I hope he eventually comes to see just how horrible his actions were when he nearly killed his friend in that horrendous accident two years ago. His family has made so many excuses that I doubt it will happen, but it’d be nice. Other than that… maybe it’s good he’s haunted by something. Knowing there are consequences for your actions that stay with you for a long time is probably good for him.

Here’s Nick enjoying every minute of his celebrity in L.A. on August 26th. Images thanks to WENN.com .

I love the Swiss. Up until now my feelings for them had been mostly neutral (ha). But now I have a special fondness for them, and their complete refusal to fall for any of Roman Polanski’s bullsh*t. And his lawyers have tried to pull so much stuff, I can’t help but think they might have had some success in another country. But today the Swiss made it clear they’re not letting Polanski out of jail for any reason, and they know exactly what he’s up to. He was officially denied bail, though he does have 10 days to appeal.

That’s strike two. For the second time since his controversial bust last month, a Swiss court has denied director Roman Polanski bail, deeming the 76-year-old auteur a high flight risk and ruling that he will remain in jail ahead of his possible extradition to the United States. In handing down her trilingual ruling, Swiss Federal Criminal Court Judge Cornelia Cova this morning also rejected any number of alternative proposals from Polanski’s team, among them allowing the director to post bail or be placed under house arrest at his chalet in Gstaad.

You know what they say: Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the luxury resort-accommodated time… “The court considered the risk that Roman Polanski might flee if released from custody as high,” the ruling read. Typical measures, such as revoking his passport and requiring him to report daily to police, were not strong enough guarantees he would stay put, per the court, particularly as the well-connected Polanski potentially has any number of private jets or helicopters at his disposal.

Handing in his travel documents would also not stymie him for long as his dual citizenship in both France and Poland would make it easier to obtain a second, new set. “The detention of the accused during the entire extradition proceedings is the rule. This allows Switzerland to meet the obligations of its extradition treaties.” What’s a guy got to do to get a jail break? Other than fall mysteriously ill, or, you know, not have sex with a 13-year-old in the first place.

Polanski has 10 days to appeal the ruling to the Swiss Supreme Court or to the Swiss Justice Ministry, which also has the power to step in and free him. The United States, meanwhile, has until Nov. 25 to formalize its extradition request.

[From E! News]

It sucks when you can’t chill in your chalet instead of your jail cell. I love the way the judge saw through each and every argument. Most of the time judges do, but they sometimes will grant requests based on technicalities. But in this case, you can just tell there’s nothing Polanski’s lawyers could have said that would get him home. The guy would run, it’s that simple. I don’t know the future but I’m not a dumbass.

Enjoy Swiss jail while you can, Polanski. It’ll seem like a chalet compared to American jail.

Last week we heard that director Roman Polanski, who was sitting in a Swiss jail await extradition to the US for raping and sodomizing a 13 year-old girl in 1977, was “depressed” in prison. His lawyer begged Swiss officials to set bail for Polanski, explaining that the 76 year-old was “dejected,” “tired” and “in an unsettled state of mind,” which of course is not typical when a person has to deal with incarceration. Our hearts bled for the rapist, and it looks like he’s received a temporary reprieve from jail. On Friday Polanski was taken to a hospital outside Zurich to undergo tests for an undisclosed condition. It’s unclear at this point whether he’s still there.

Polanski’s lawyer, Herve Temime, confirmed reports that his 76-year-old client was having tests.
He said last week that Polanski was “worn out”.

The Oscar-winning director of Chinatown and Rosemary’s Baby was arrested in Zurich, where he was due to attend a film festival, on Sept 26 on a US warrant over child sex offence charges dating back to 1977.

He has been regarded as a fugitive by US authorities since he fled the country a year later after admitting to unlawful sexual intercourse with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer.

The Swiss newspaper Blick reported on its website that Polanski was taken to a hospital in the Zurich area on Friday morning.

It quoted a legal source in Bern who said the hospital stay “was probably nothing serious”.

Polanski had to stay in bed in hospital for a day or two to treat a medical problem which pre-dated his arrest, the source said, without elaborating.

The French consul-general, Jean-Luc Faure-Tournaire, said on Friday he was concerned about the health of the director, who has dual French and Polish nationality.
Mr Faure-Tournaire visited the prison in Winterthur, near Zurich, but did not say if he was able to meet Polanski.

He said the Swiss authorities had behaved “very properly”.

The Swiss authorities have opposed bail for the director and referred the matter to the tribunal court in the town of Bellinzona, where an appeal has been lodged.
Mr Faure-Tournaire said a final decision on whether Polanski would be released on bail was expected “in the next few days”.

[From Telegraph.co.uk]

I used to live in Switzerland and have gone to the hospital for a couple of minor issues. I haven’t been to the specific hospital outside Zurich where Polanski is receiving treatment for his aversion to jail. The hospital I went to was amazing though. There was no wait and both times I was there I had the best care in the nicest facility I’ve ever experienced. (Switzerland has other issues like most places, but the hospital was great.) Given how clean and well run the country is, I would assume that most of the hospitals are excellent like the one I went to. Even if they’re closer to US hospitals, does Polanski deserve to go to the hospital instead of being locked up? Hell no. Put him back in jail where he belongs.

Paris Hilton had her sick pass revoked after she tried to pull the same stunt. She ultimately went to jail for over 40 days for violating her DUI probation. This guy did something much, much worse and has lived a life of luxury for over 30 years. It’s time he faced justice. There’s also no way he should be allowed to be out on bail. He’s been on the run for decades and it’s not like he can be trusted to stay in Switzerland while he awaits extradition.

Back in 2007, Lindsay Lohan got in big trouble. She was charged with a DUI, and everyone was like “whoa, that girl is out of control.” Cut to two years later, and we’re like “wow, those were the good old days.” Anyway, Lindsay was charged with the DUI and she pled no contest and agreed to what amounted to court-ordered rehab. Here’s something I didn’t know – Lindsay is still on probation from the incident! Now TMZ is reporting that Lindsay has been ordered to appear before the judge for a “progress report”. Oh, Jesus. This poor judge isn’t going to know what crackhead trainwreck is about to enter his life:

Sources tell TMZ the alcohol education course which Lindsay Lohan is taking as part of her probation not only contacted the court about Lindsay’s conduct … we’re told they may have already told the court she is outright violating the terms of the program.

As we first told you, the judge in Lindsay’s DUI case has ordered her to appear for the progress report. Lindsay pled no contest to DUI in 2007.

If the judge determines Lindsay violated the terms of the program, her probation can be revoked and Lindsay could end up in jail.

[From TMZ]

Keep your fingers crossed for anything involving the words “jail” or “six month mandatory rehab” or “Guantanamo”.

In other Lindsay news, the tabloids this week have really picked up on Lindsay’s spiral of self destruction. Star made Lindsay’s bloated, glassy-eyed, receding hairline-havin’, mess of a face on their cover. They had a source who claimed that Lindsay is “an obituary waiting to happen”. Now In Touch Weekly has gotten into it too, only Lindsay didn’t make their cover.

In a story that seems almost completely taken from Grazia, In Touch reports that while in Paris, Lindsay had to be rushed to the hospital one early morning after she had spent the night partying, drinking and doing drugs. This state of intoxication had allegedly made Lindsay slash her wrists, either on purpose or “accidentally”. I actual doubt this story – not that I think Lindsay is incapable of cutting herself (which I actually believe, her arms are always cut up and scarred up in candid pictures), but because if she had been admitted to a hospital, we would have heard about it. Probably from Lindsay herself. In Touch also adds that Samantha Ronson and most of Lindsay’s friends have been “pulling away from Lindsay because of her strange and often upsetting behavior.” So… I guess that means that the only people around Lindsay are just her sycophants, enablers, and dependants. Dina Lohan, basically. Oh, and 15-year-old Ali. She’s around at all times, probably taking notes on “How To Be Famous”.

Lindsay is shown on 10/5/09 at the Ungaro show. Credit: Steph/WENN.com

Sunday, the Associated Press reported that T.I. was being transferred to Arkansas to serve his jail sentence and that the 305 days he spent at home would be counted towards it – meaning that he may only spend two months in jail. Well, it seems like they misread the official statement. T.I. will be credited for 305 days, but that will go towards the home confinement which will occur after his prison term is over. In other words, the two terms are separate.

When The Associated Press reported on Sunday that T.I. — due to report to the Forrest City low-security federal prison in Little Rock, Arkansas, on May 26 — had been given credit for 305 days of home detention, “so his stay at Forrest City prison will likely be only two months,” the news agency may have misread the sentencing report. The story has since spread on the Internet, but according to Charysse Alexander, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, it is not accurate.

According to Alexander, the rapper was indeed given credit for the 305 days of home confinement he served while awaiting trial in the case, but that has nothing to do with his prison sentence.

After pleading guilty to two charges of illegally possessing firearms and of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in March in connection with his attempt in October 2007 to buy unlicensed machine guns and silencers, T.I. (real name: Clifford Harris Jr.) was ordered to serve one year and one day in federal prison. Alexander explained that, at best, according to federal sentencing guidelines, anyone who serves more than one year in prison is eligible for a 15 percent “good time” credit, which in Tip’s case could shave almost 55 days off his sentence.

The confusion may have stemmed from mixing the credit for home confinement with the prison sentence, which are separate terms, Alexander said. Once T.I. completes the prison term, he will still have to serve out the remainder of his home confinement, she said, which will amount to about two months.

[from MTV]

There was some bitterness over the fact that he plea-bargained his sentence down so low. In a normal case, he would have been in prison for five or more years, but he only has to serve a year and a day (possibly with a 15% decrease for good behavior) and do 1000 hours of community service. He spent his community service talking to youths about the danger of “drugs, crime, and gangs.” He documented some of his traveling for a documentary for MTV, but the show did not go towards his 1000 hours.

There’s always a double standard with celebrities and jail sentences, whether it benefits the celebrity (like in T.I.’s case) or hurts them (Paris Hilton’s DUI). However you feel about T.I.’s sentencing, he did do a good thing by spreading awareness about youth violence and drug use, and hopefully he’ll use his stardom for good after he gets out of jail.

There are a multitude of reasons I am frightened of Boy George. His makeup. His music. His penchant for chaining up male escorts and beating them. So I can’t really blame Jade Goody’s widower Jack Tweed for being fearful of George. Tweed is serving time in Edmunds Hill jail for assaulting a cab driver, while George is there for the aforementioned beating of an escort. And apparently they keep meeting up in the showers, which has left Tweed utterly terrified. And not just because he’s now seen Boy George naked.

JAILED Jack Tweed turned tail and ran from the showers in prison — after THREE encounters with naked gay star Boy George. Jack, 21, was stunned when he bumped into the Culture Club icon in the wash block of the nick where they are both serving sentences. Shy Jack, whose Big Brother star wife Jade Goody died of cancer last month, repeatedly met beefy George after being sent to cushy Edmunds Hill jail in Suffolk.

A pal said: “Jack isn’t exactly the most comfortable person when it comes to getting attention from other men. As soon as he saw Boy George was standing there naked having a wash he was gobsmacked… He grew up listening to George’s records but never imagined the first time he met him he would be stark naked in a prison shower.”

Sources said Jack TWICE went to the showers only to find 1980s icon Boy George, real name George O’Dowd, already in there wiping himself down. There was fleeting eye contact and Jack immediately turned around and fled. The THIRD time he went into the changing room where Boy George was getting undressed for his morning wash.

A pal told The Sun: “Jack knew what Boy George was in jail for and didn’t want to take any chances. The first time he saw him he just turned white and legged it.” George, 47, who stands 6ft, is said to be an intimidating figure for young prisoners at the jail.

[From the Sun]

I bet. But not because there’s anything particularly intimidating about being 6 feet tall. More that a guy who’d beet a man with a chain and is supposedly into some serious S&M style stuff is a pretty scary figure in jail. But really, if I were Jack Tweed I’d be afraid of Boy George in the shower because it means seeing Boy George in the shower. Naked. “Wiping himself down,” as the Sun was so kind to remind us. What a horrifying mental picture. I have such a vivid image in my mind right now of a fat naked bald man with a fully made-up face toweling off.

I’m going to avoid all the “don’t drop the soap” clichés and just say that I really empathize with Jack Tweed here. Sometimes people can get out early if they undergo some sort of trauma. I really think this should qualify.

Images thanks to WENN.com .

Retired NBA superstar Charles Barkley has been sentenced to 10 days in jail for two counts of DUI. According to the court documents, Barkley will only be required to serve five of those days if he completes an alcohol education program. Barkley was also given a $2,000 fine. He probably drops more cash than that in a single night at the strip clubs. Ah, celebrity justice.

Hope they’ve got XXXXL jumpsuits in AZ, ’cause Charles Barkley is officially going to jail.

Barkley just pleaded guilty to 2 counts of driving under the influence and pleaded “responsible” to running a stop sign for the December 31st incident in Scottsdale.

Barkley was sentenced to 10 days in jail — but will only do five if he completes an alcohol education program. Barkley was also fined $2,000.

Barkley will begin his sentence on March 21 — but it’s unclear if he will serve time in Arizona’s famed Tent City Jail, where they make the inmates wear pink.

As for the gun cops say they found in Barkley’s car on the night of the arrest — no charges were ever filed.

[From TMZ]

Since his DUI arrest, Barkley managed to keep his job on the TNT network as an NBA commentator and has apologized multiple times for the incident. In a live broadcast following the arrest, Barkley told viewers, “Clearly everybody knows I got a DUI. That’s unacceptable, 100% my fault. I screwed up, I made a mistake, I’m sorry, I apologize.” It does appear that he’s willing to accept the consequences for his stupidity- but I can’t help but wonder if he’d be getting off so easily if his name wasn’t Charles Barkley.

Charles Barkley is shown on 7/20/08 at Ante up for Africa. Credit: WENN

Rapper DMX (Earl Simmons) has received a sentence of 90 days in jail for several charges in Arizona. Amongst the charges: animal cruelty, identity theft and drug possession. Considering the charges, ninety days sounds like too little.

Last May, authorities raided DMX’s Arizona property. They found dead and malnourished pit bulls. In the summer of 2007, they found the remains of three dead pit bulls and took away 12 others that were sick and malnourished. Thus, the animal cruelty charges. Personally, I’ve always hoped that judges would start issuing these animal-killers the same kind of treatment they gave to their pets. Let’s cage DMX up, not feed him and force him to fight.

A judge in Arizona sentenced rapper DMX to 90 days in jail on Friday on drug, theft and animal cruelty charges.

The 38-year-old rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, has been in custody since December.

Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Phemonia Miller gave Simmons no credit for time served and placed him on 18 months of supervised probation.

The rapper turned actor, whose hit albums include “Year of the Dog … Again” and “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot,” has been in legal trouble during the past year in Arizona, where he keeps a home near Phoenix.

In May, he was arrested on drug and animal cruelty charges after sheriff’s deputies raided his home. Authorities found dog carcasses and malnourished pit bulls.

He also was charged with assuming someone’s identity and giving false information during a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a suspected attempt to avoid paying the bill.

Simmons had pleaded guilty to the charges to settle three criminal cases against him and agreed not to own animals or possess firearms.

“After several run-ins with the law, Mr. Simmons is finally being held accountable for his actions. We will continue to prosecute aggressively all cases involving cruelty to animals,” county attorney Andrew Thomas said in a statement.

Simmons’ attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

[From Reuters]

Ninety days in jail is not “accountability”. If he was just regular Earl Simmons, rather than a famous rapper, who was facing charges of drug possession and animal cruelty, the sentence would be so much more severe.

Here’s DMX and wife Tashera Simmons at the CUN Academy Awards Celebration Dinner in Hollywood in 2007. Image thanks to WENN. Header thanks to Images thanks to Splash.

Boy George has had a rough decade. He was arrested for cocaine possession in 2006 after cops found the drug in his NY apartment when responding to a burglary call. He failed to show up for a scheduled court appearance, an arrest warrant was issued and he was was ultimately sentenced to pick up trash for a week. Then there was the escort he hired in London. Boy George met the guy over the Internet, invited him to come to his place, and allegedly handcuffed him, threatened him with sex toys and and kept him in the apartment for hours. The escort pressed charges, and now Boy George has been found guilty of false imprisonment, and been sentenced to fifteen months in jail.

Former Culture Club singer Boy George has just been sentenced to prison by a London judge for false imprisonment.

The 15-month stretch was meted out as a result of the guilty verdict handed down in December. The 47 year-old one-time phenom was found guilty of handcuffing Norwegian escort Audun Carlsen to a wall in his London apartment in 2007.

George pleaded not-guilty to the charges.

From radaronline.com

Of course there is something a little funny about this story. Boy George’s version of events kept changing, and I think at one point he claimed that he was making some kind of “citizen‘s arrest” on the escort. Boy George has had problems with drugs and alcohol, which may have led to some of his most recent problems. I have no doubt that the court system will make him serve most of his sentence, and hopefully Boy George will learn that most valuable life lesson: Don’t handcuff escorts.

Header image is of Boy George on 5/30/08. He is shown on 6/11/08 below. Credit: WENN

OJ had better get used to prison gray uniforms, as he will be wearing them for at least 6 years. Photo credit: Bauergriffin.

The sentencing in the OJ Simpson trial has just subsided. Simpson was convicted in October on 12 counts including kidnapping, armed robbery and burglary for his part in a badly-planned robbery to get back some of his sports memorabilia which he’d either sold or lost years ago. In an unusual turn of events, Simpson made a statement to the judge just before the sentence was handed down, maintaining his innocence. (See a clip of that statement here.) It reeked of arrogance and insincerity, and the judge wasn’t having any of it. She basically told him to sit down and shut up and went on with the sentencing. Simpson’s co-conspirator in the crime was also sentenced. Ron Goldman’s father was in the courthouse, as were O.J.’s children from his marriage to Nicole Brown.

O.J. Simpson was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a judge ordered today. He is eligible for parole after six.

O.J. pleaded his case to the judge before she sentenced him, but to no avail.

Simpson was convicted on October 3 of 12 criminal counts, including kidnapping, armed robbery and burglary after he and a few pals broke into a Nevada hotel room in an attempt to recover allegedly stolen sports memorabilia.

Simpson’s cohort, CJ Stewart, was also sentenced to 16 years. He is eligible for parole after six.

David Cook, a lawyer for the Goldman family, tells TMZ, “Fred Goldman is certainly going to wish Mr. Simpson a pleasant journey.”

[From TMZ]

The judge in this case prefaced her sentence by making it clear to the court and the media that her job was to sentence Simpson appropriately for these crimes and not the murders he was acquitted of nearly 15 years ago. Once the sentences were read, Simpson and Stewart, who were dressed in prison-issued gray coveralls, were led out of the courtroom and back to jail.

Personally, I can’t think of a better place for Simpson to live out his golden years. I know that we’re not supposed to look at this as retribution for the murders he was acquitted of (and most likely committed), but I can’t help it. Since getting off for those murders, OJ has done nothing to “find the real killers” as he once so famously promised, and instead has pissed away what little money he had left after paying his high-profile team of lawyers by playing golf, running through a string of women and so on. He even attempted to profit from the murders with his “fictional” book, “If I Did It,” which ended up being pulled from bookshelves and generally deemed to be in the poorest of taste. If you ask me, the acquittal only made OJ’s ego even bigger – he truly believed he was above the law and could get away with this latest crime. Luckily, the Las Vegas jury and judge didn’t agree.