Jalen Rose, ESPN commentator and member of the legendary Fab Five, has been sentenced to 20 days in jail for his DUI conviction. Folks are up in arms over the sentence, since Rose has never been in legal trouble before. The state of Michigan does not have a minimum-sentencing requirement for DUI convictions, so sentencing a first-time offender to jail time is pretty much unheard of. Rose, who was incredulous over the sentencing, was pulled over for a speeding ticket after leaving the court hearing.
People often talk about how celebrity yields many perks, which is true. However, in this case, it is clearly the reverse. Rose is being penalized differently from the average Michigander because he is a celebrity. Despite his significant contributions to society in the areas of charity and mentorship, he is being held to a different standard.
One could argue that he shouldn't have been drinking and driving in the first place, which is correct. If he didn't put himself in the position to be treated differently, then he wouldn't have to worry about it. One could also argue with the abundance of celebrities who manage to escape jail time for similar crimes (Lindsay Lohan, Jaime Pressly, Nicole Ritchie), that it just isn't fair. Prison orange is not his color; nor should it be.
Read more at USA Today [5].
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