Free Paris?

Paris Hilton has been ordered to report to jail for a 45-day sentence for violating probation on a DUI charge (likely exacerbated by missing a court date). If she doesn't show, she could wind up doing 90 days in the Big House, although her lawyers are appealing. Now it appears that a group of her fans are circulating an online petition, asking Governor Schwarzenegger for an official pardon.

Whomever wrote this, they're certainly more savvy that most of us would expect the Paris-worshipping crowd to be. A number of names are trotted out, of other celebrities that have been arrested for DUI and never served any jail time. Conveniently left out is the fact that Hilton herself would never have served any jail time - if she'd completed her probationary period without incident. Her supporters are asking for a "second chance," without acknowledging that she'd already been given that second chance. (And, it appears, blew it by acting on the advice of her publicist, rather than her lawyers.)

They also cite the case of Brandy, noting that even though she was in a fatal accident, she didn't go to jail. Overlooked is the fact that being in a fatal accident is not, by itself, illegal in many places. In the absence of criminal charges pertaining to her conduct behind the wheel, Brandy shouldn't be in jail because of that accident. That's the way the legal system works.
Still, the cynic in me is impressed. I doubt that Governor Schwarzenegger is vapid enough to not understand some of the distinctions being made here, so there's a part of me that doubts that he's really the intended audience. Seems her newly rehired publicist is already working on earning his paycheck.