One law for you, one law for me

I doubt there are many western democracies where the general citizenship would agree with the statement "everyone in my country is treated equally by the legal system".  We all know that those who have money get to purchase justice, in the form of effective legal teams, convoluted (and often long) legal proceedings, and appeal after appeal after appeal.  Even if they're eventually found guilty, their dead by the time everything works its way through the courts.

The rest of us get the shitty end of the stick - self-representation, or if we're "lucky" a newly graduated, inexperienced, ineffective and outclassed shitbag of an excuse for a lawyer public-defence lawyer.

Nor would many people disagree with the statement "celebrities, politicians and other public individuals get treated more mildly by the legal system than the rest of us".

And just to show that my own country is just like everyone else's, our darling legal system just let a guy by the name of Eric Tillman (pic @ right) off the hook - AFTER HE PLEAD GUILTY TO SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A 16 YEAR-OLD GIRL.  Yep, he plead guilty and his debt to society was...nothing.  No jail time, no parole, no fine, not even a criminal record.

And the judges reason why - and I jest not:

Judge Murray Hinds told a Regina courtroom Tuesday he believed Tillman was "genuinely remorseful" for his behaviour.
"In this case there's no suggestion that Mr. Tillman is not generally of good character," Hinds said.

"He has no prior criminal record. His behaviour towards (the teenage girl) on Aug. 6 appears to be an aberration fuelled by his consumption of two non-prescription drugs, which he used for sleep and pain relief."

Of course, the fact that Tillman is the GM of one of Canada's major football teams, is very wealthy, and is a public figure played no role in that...

...oh wait, it did.  According to Tillmas lawyer one of the arguments used to secure his generous treatment was the fact that as a public figure Tillman and his family will face ostracization by the rest of society.

GASP - how horrendous; a child molester being ostracised by society.  What's next, imprisoning murderers?  I do believe the sky is falling...

Gee, I wish I was rich and famous - I could commit any number of crimes, and then afford a scum-bag lawyer who'd get me off because I'm famous and therefore people might not like me.

Instead, I'm going to have to choose option 'B', and not commit any crimes...