It looks like Lindsay Lohan isn't the only celebrity to get out of jail early in a DUI case. The New York Daily News reports that rapper DMX was recently released from an L.A county jail after serving just 18 days of his 90 day sentence.
DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, surrendered himself to the Los Angeles County authorities on July 26 for his probation violation in connection with a 2002 reckless driving conviction. The rapper was initially charged with DUI, but was able to reach a plea deal with prosecutors so that he could only plead guilty to reckless driving. Yet, it seems that there's just no room for drunk driving offenders in the L.A jails due to jail overcrowding. As we reported in an earlier blog post, men convicted of non-violent crimes typically serve only 50 percent of their sentence, where women convicted of non-violent crimes will serve only 20 percent of their jail sentence.
Yet DMX served less than 50 percent of his 90 day jail sentence and actress Lindsay Lohan served less than 20 percent of her 90 day sentence by getting out of jail in just 13 days. The even earlier release for these two celebrities has to do with their good behavior while they were locked behind bars. With DUI cases, many celebrities also have skilled Los Angeles DUI attorneys working for them, who can sometimes negotiate with prosecutors before the judge's sentencing.
Perhaps Los Angeles is one of the only areas where inmates can get out of jail significantly early. According to New York Daily News, DMX had to serve his full 90 day sentence in Arizona, when he was convicted of drug possession and animal cruelty charges.
Related Resources:
- Rapper DMX Reports to Jail For Reckless Driving Conviction (FindLaw's Los Angeles DUI Blog)
- Find a Los Angeles DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Drunk Driving FAQ (FindLaw)
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