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The Well-Publicized Legal Problems From 2009
March 10, 2010 |
Although too many people to count endured legal troubles in 2009, there are several cases that either involved celebrities or transformed those involved into celebrities as their legal troubles unfolded in the public arena.
Wherever a Star Goes, Legal Trouble is Sure to Follow
Famous director Roman Polanski has legal trouble pursuing him across international borders, as he tries to evade a 1977 charge of statutory rape. Polanski was safely residing in France to avoid receiving jail time for this crime when he decided to visit Switzerland to receive the lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. Now, his attorneys are frantically trying to avoid extradition while Polanski rests in a ski chalet under house arrest.
After the untimely death of Michael Jackson, legal troubles appeared on the horizon for Dr. Conrad Murray. Once police discovered that Dr. Murray gave the King of Pop an intravenous dose of the sedative Propofol, the DEA jumped on board and joined the investigation into the good doctor’s activities.
Tiger Woods might regret the day of his minor traffic accident because it led to a whole lot of questions which he didn’t feel compelled to answer. Now, Tiger Woods is no longer famous just for his golf skills, but is infamous for his multiple illicit liaisons and for trying to cover them up with silence.
Bad Decisions Leading to Notoriety and Legal Difficulties
Some people start out relatively unknown and then get into a legal hassle that propels them into the media spotlight, whether that was the initial intention or not. For instance, Mayumi and Richard Heene are guilty of the Balloon Boy episode that did indeed make them notorious for bad judgment. Failing to be interesting enough for reality television, the Heenes thought this hoax would catapult them to TV stardom when it just led to a small jail sentence (20 days for Mayumi and 90 days for Richard).
Another scammer who became notorious in 2009 is Bernard Madoff, who ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history worth $60 billion. Madoff was living the ultimate fantasy among the financial elite until his scheme collapsed, and he’s now at the bottom serving a 150-year jail sentence.
You might not have known who Governor Rod Blagojevich was before he was dethroned and removed from political office. Many people had never heard of the Illinois governor until corruption charges were brought against him soon after Obama was elected President. Blagojevich didn’t go quietly either, but made as big a media splash as he could, making sure everyone heard his protestations of innocence, alongside plans for a possible criminal trial.
Two things the public despises are mothers who murder their children and terrorists. Unfortunately, both of these categories are present in this list. Casey Anthony will be tried for the murder of her young daughter Caylee, and prosecutors might seek the death penalty. Also, Al Qaeda members accused of planning the 9/11 attacks will be tried in New York, subjecting the city to political diatribes against the U.S. Security must be a priority, as will minimizing these painful outbursts from the terrorists on trial.
It just begs the question, what will 2010 bring?
Learn more about Kendall Coffey and his high-profile legal cases, as well as Kendall Coffey’s work as the former US Attorney for South Florida.
Article Source: The Well-Publicized Legal Problems From 2009
