Do You Really Want To Jail Me?

Everybody sing along with Boy George! The 45-year old has-been has been balking at performing five days of community service raking leaves, saying it would be a "media circus" if he did so. The judge who imposed the sentence is not at all amused and has promised Mr. O'Dowd (his real name) a nice little cell if he does not perform the community service.

Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara gave George until August 28 to complete the five days of community service, which was imposed in March when he admitted to falsely reporting a burglary, escaping more serious charges of drug possession.

Defence lawyer Louis Freeman had argued in court earlier this month that the singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was hoping to avoid the humiliation of dragging a rake around a city park and wanted to work with an AIDS charity.

Freeman said if the singer was forced to sweep streets or a park, "It would turn into a media circus."

Ferrara appeared angry and insisted that George, who did not speak during the court appearance, would be treated the same as any other offender.

"This is a simple matter," Ferrara told the 45-year-old singer. "Five days of community service. It's up to you as to whether it will be an exercise in humiliation or an exercise in humility. Your choice.

"If you do community service you go out that door," he said pointing to the exit. "But I'm going to make you a promise. If you don't do this community service, you go through the back door," he said, threatening the singer with jail.

The charges against Boy George, who made his name as the cross-dressing front man for the 1980s chart-topping pop band Culture Club, resulted from an October 7 incident when police responded to his call reporting a burglary and found 13 bags of cocaine in his apartment.

If convicted on the drug charges, the singer could have been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Instead, was ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation program and was fined $1,000, which he has paid.

This is pretty amazing. He essentially gets off Scot-free with only a piddly requirement to do five days of community service and thinks that's too much? Because he's a celebrity? Or rather, was a celebrity. Maybe he should change his name to Boy Genius.

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  By TC@LeatherPenguin, Monday, 26 June , 2006 @ 11:18 am

  The whole “media circus” excuse is bogus and the judge knows it. The only way that scenario would happen would be O’Dowd telling the media which park and on what day he could be found sweeping the leaves. This is friggin’ NYC, not London; the average person wouldn’t recognize that has been unless he was decked out in one of his flamboyant makeup and clothes combinations. Stick him in a set of overalls and a baseball cap and he’s as anonymous as any run of the mill Parks Department employee.

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  By Gaius, Monday, 26 June , 2006 @ 11:38 am

  I doubt there are more than three or four people outside of his family that would recognize him if they tripped over him.

  I’m not even sure about his family, either.

Other Links to this Post

1. Blue Crab Boulevard » Blog Archive » Taking Out The Trash — Monday, 31 July , 2006 @ 7:41 am

2. Blue Crab Boulevard » Blog Archive » Publicity — Monday, 14 August , 2006 @ 7:57 am