We all know Lindsay Lohan is a very bad girl who deserves to be constantly shamed, but now Fox News has added a new crime to her rap sheet: Her court appearances are costing the cash-strapped state of California millions.
To recap, Lindsay has been arrested twice on drunk driving charges. Then she failed to complete mandatory alcohol counseling, so her probation was extended for a year. She violated her probation again in 2010 when she missed court dates and more alcohol counseling. Later she failed a drug test and wound up in rehab, and now she’s been accused of stealing a necklace.
Various judges may have let Lindsay off easy because she’s a celebrity, but for an addict, her crimes aren’t particularly numerous or remarkable. Yet, Fox News has helpfully calculated how much her “one woman crime wave” is costing the state. Hollie McKay writes:
Factoring in all the court dates, court postponements (like when she was partying in Cannes and couldn’t get back to the U.S for a hearing), arraignments, judge and prosecutor fees, jail visits (she has had three stints in the slammer –- 84 minutes, two weeks and one evening before posting bail, mug shots (four and counting), probation officers, random drug testing resources, SCRAM bracelets (these generally cost over $100 to install and have a daily fee of about $18) and LAPD security to and from court, how much is Lohan costing the taxpayer?
“It has been four years, and we’re talking about quite a few county law enforcement professionals, so it is probably safe to say several million dollars,” California-based civil law trial attorney David Wohl told FOX411’s Pop Tarts.
Several other experts confirm that Lindsay’s legal troubles may wind up costing millions, but so do all high-profile cases. We just don’t get a full tally of how much the numerous court appearances of stars like Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, and Robert Downey, Jr. cost the state. They’re seen as having serious addictions that caused them to repeatedly relapse over the years. Lindsay, on the other hand, is just a flakey young woman who missed a court date because “she was partying in Cannes.”
There was one report in August that said Charlie Sheen’s numerous court hearings over his domestic violence case cost $20,000 a pop. But that’s just for assaulting Brooke Mueller. There’s no information on how much 20 years of legal trouble over drugs and domestic abuse have cost taxpayers.
By the end of the week we’ll know whether Lindsay’s grand theft case will end in jail or a trial. While attorney David Wohl says finding 12 unbiased jurors could be difficult and costly, he admits,
“Most of the people involved are just doing their jobs – whether they’re dealing with Lilo or any other criminal, so they don’t cost the taxpayers any extra, with the exception of overtime pay for the countless cops who have to provide courthouse security for her court appearances.”
Lindsay has definitely committed crimes that cost the state of California money, but that’s true of everyone who breaks the law. Compared to many other criminals, she’s less of a menace to society. Yet, she’s considered more of a public burden than other celebrity law breakers, because she’s a rich young woman and her offenses are seen as frivolous, not the result of a serious problem.
Experts: Court-Prone Lindsay Lohan Costing Taxpayers Millions [Fox News]
EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Sheen Court Appearance Cost Taxpayers $20,000 [Radar]
Earlier: Charlie Sheen’s History Of Violence Toward Women