LINDSAY LOHAN
By Ashley Charles
Western Sun staff writer
Last month the media erupted with live coverage of disgraced actress Lindsay Lohan’s umpteenth court appearance.
From the time Lohan waltzed into court aside her attorney, Shawn Holley, until she was escorted in handcuffs to a holding cell, it was documented by local news stations.
An hour later, Lohan posted bail and was released. That made the news.
The next day she turned up hours late to begin community service at the coroner’s office. That made the news too. Of course, jabs at the actress’s celebrity status and personal life ensued.
For centuries, the general American public has taken its Sixth Amendment right to a fair, public, and speedy trial by jury in great tenacity.
People used to flock to local courthouses to get a glimpse of the latest drama. If the defendant was a well-known person of the town, the courtroom was packed to capacity every waning moment of the trial.
With the advent of instant access to proceedings through television, the Internet and social media, court cases have invaded our homes and personal lives.
The interest and excitement over court trials, made global by newer media and easy access to it, has diminished any second chance a defendant could have at beginning a new life or seeking redemption.
A future potential employer, spouse, or neighbor could be watching these court trials and remember a decade or so down the line the crime that person was accused of.
Of course, many will not have to worry about redemption if they are actually found guilty. However, it will be a constant struggle to get back to any sense of a normal life for those proven innocent.
Defendants are made spectacles to the fulfillment of America’s entertainment. When the case is at the tip of being forgotten, it is still only an Internet search away from exposure.
