Prosecution and Celebrity in Terms of Drunken Driving

Three-thirty on a Tuesday morning a man walked out of a bar got in his car and began the drive home. There were several problems that night. The first was he was parked almost adjacent to a light, which was red as he pulled out. The man continued to the next light, which was also red, and he stopped. The light turned green and he moved forward only to find his vision irritated by swirling red lights would be the second of the problems. A baffled police officer had watched as he ran the first the light and stopped at the second. Times were different in 1978.

Fast Forward to the near present

The laws have tightened up and there is a low tolerance for even a suspicion of drunk driving during the passing years. If you are a regular person you can expect a hefty fine and a period of suspension. If you are wealthy or celebrity you can expect a period of legal maneuvering and manipulation. Not too long ago actor Rip Torn was arrested for drunk driving after having won acquittal in another drunk driving arrest a few years before. As retold in How We Are Responsible for Celebrity Irresponsibility Torn in his first arrest was quite arrogant. In a separate incident, Nicole Ritchie traveled up the exit ramp on to a freeway. Police found her stopped in a traffic lane, chatting on her cellphone, and allegedly intoxicated. By all reports, she was the polar opposite of Mr. Torn being cordial and cooperative. Their common ground other than being intoxicated (oops)...allegedly intoxicated at the time of the incident would be pleas of not guilty.

Now to the getting closer present