Do You Think This is Right?
@whiteheather39 (24403)
United States
October 2, 2008 9:38am CST
I am interested in your opinion of whether this reporter did her civic duty or if it was a set up to earn money ($27,000.00) for the photos of the arrest? D.A. Weighing Locklear's Fate; Witness Accounts Conflict
Los Angeles (E! Online) - For the time being, Heather Locklear is in the clear.
With the police investigation over, the Santa Barbara District Attorney Office is reviewing the evidence, but "no charges have been filed yet" for the actress' weekend DUI bust, Deputy District Attorney Lee Carter tells E! News.
The former Melrose Place predator was arrested last Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence. The California Highway Patrol was alerted by what the incident report calls a "concerned citizen," who, it turns out, is a former Us Weekly staffer who subsequently sold photos of the arrest. In the 911 call, the tipster claims Locklear seemed tipsy
However, a new witness has stepped forward and tells E! News exclusively that Locklear "did not seem to be drunk at all.""She seemed to be acting normal, totally normal. She was just really messy, but not drunk," says Santa Barbara resident Alex Paillon, who spotted Locklear in a shopping center moments before her arrest."I was really surprised to hear she got a DUI because, I mean, I just saw her coming out of the store," Paillon continues. "She looked fine."While the CHP said there was no sign Locklear, 47, had consumed excessive amounts of alcohol, a "drug recognition expert" told officers she appeared under the influence of an unspecified drug. She was tested and prosecutors are awaiting the results."Toxicology is one piece of information that I want to have in hand before I review the case," explains Carter. "Obviously, I want as much information as I can get before I can review the case for any filing, if there is going to be a filing."Locklear, who had been spending a getaway weekend at the luxury San Ysidro Ranch with boyfriend Jack Wagner, has since returned to her L.A.-area home. She has yet to commment on the arrest.
Meanwhile, an attorney for Jill Ishkanian, the former Us Weekly reporter and current head of the Sunset Photo & News agency, has said that his client did nothing wrong by following Locklear, phoning in the DUI allegation and then taking photos of her sobriety test. The images were eventually snapped up by TMZ for $27,000.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20081001/en_top_eo/32013
2 people like this
4 responses
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
2 Oct 08
Heather Locklear needs to sue this photographer or celebraties everywhere are going to have to put up with opportunistic reporters and photographers calling in bogus reports to the police on a regular basis.
2 people like this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
2 Oct 08
Hello Whiteheather,
I'm absolutely not a fan of celebrity-ism. However, this photographer stepped wayyyyyyy over the line! This just further demonstrates that the media have lost all semblence of decency. There was a time when the media conducted it business with the best interests of society in mind. That is no longer the case. The papparrazzi, as the least reputable subsect of the media, have a growing reputation of jeopardizing life and limb to make a buck.
It didn't begin and end with Princess Diana, it includes a list of celebrities who have been in automobile accidents because of papparrazzi assault. They're no longer satisfied with causing automobile accidents, now they want to manipulate celebrity arrests. Despicable!
If the actress in question is cleared by the toxicology screen, then I would support the total and complete 'annihilation by adjudication' of the photographer. If the actress is found to have been under the influence, then she should pay the piper. Although, the photographer should still be shunned into irrelevance. All Americans are entitled to the same expectation of privacy and freedom from harassment. This nonsense has got to stop! And, the best way to bring it to an end is for the consumer to simply refuse to support the hollywood gossip industry!!!
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
2 Oct 08
I think this is another case of media sensationalism. Induced sensationalism in fact. Another example of why this country is falling apart. I wonder if the new journalism courses have added a make your own story into the curriculum.
Being famous does leave you open to constant media intrusions, but I think it has really gone overboard. And I can only feel sorry for the children of people like Jessica Alba and Angelina Jolie and all the others because they have to deal with the limelight whether they want to or not. I think it is responsible for many problems is bringing up these same children.
I do think there should be limits as to the intrusion of the public into people's personal lives.
