Features
Irish Eyes
Friday, March 14, 2014
Media highlights inequality in U.S. justice system Mahum Riaz News Editor
Through the years, society has transformed the criminal justice system into two: one for the wealthy and one for the average citizen. The “celebrity” justice system is for people with wealth, fame and influence. They can afford to hire top-notch attorneys and public relations firms who make campaign contributions to sheriffs, legislators and other elected officials. These people can enjoy certain privileges due to their celebrity status or the size of their bank accounts. The other justice system accounts for everybody else. According to ABC News, Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor, says it is true: “The legal system treats celebrities differently from average folks.” Dershowitz represented O.J. Simpson. According to Dershowitz, celebrities have the power for a better lawyer, and that the judges will always be on their best behavior. However, he says that it also has its downfalls, since even the most minor offenses will become a big story. Many cases have shown favoritism towards celebrities. A much circulated case around social media has been about famous Canadian pop-star, Justin Bieber. According to USA Today, Bieber was arrested on Jan. 23 on charges of drag-racing, DUI and resisting arrest. Miami Beach police stated that he was speeding down a residential area in a yellow Lamborghini with an expired license. A release bond of $2,500 was set for the singer. Lindsay Lohan’s troubling career downfall began in 2007, when she was taken into custody in Santa Monica under charges of driving with a suspended license and possession of cocaine. After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to a day in jail and 10 days of community
service. In 2009, Lohan’s DUI arrest caused a judge to issue a $50,000 warrant. In 2010, Lohan was issued a bench warrant for skipping a court date, setting her bail at $100,000. In 2011, she pleaded not guilty to stealing a $2,500 necklace from a jewelry store in Venice. Due to failure of completing her community service obligations, she had a bail for $100,000 posted. Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men” star, has also circulated around social media in past years. According to the Huffington Post, Charlie Sheen was arrested on Dec. 25, 2009, spending part of Christmas in Pitkin County jail. Sheen was charged with domestic violence allegations and booked for second-degree assault, menacing, criminal mischief and a misdemeanor for assaulting his wife, Brooke Mueller. He was released in the afternoon with a bond set at $8,500. He was later sentenced to 30 days in a drug rehabilitation center. Jails are designed to restrict a human of freedom under the law as a form of punishment. According to CNN, a jail in Pitkin County, Colorado allows inmates out of their cells from 8 A.M. until 11:30 P.M. It also facilitates the inmates with a multipurpose room, a gym, television and approved meals. This jail has been home to many celebrities, including Charlie Sheen and Paris Hilton. Many other types of jails allow amenities to be
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bought. Self-pay jails cost wealthy prisoners between $45 and $175 a day and include amenities such as iPods, cell phones, computers, private cells and work release programs. Due to past trials it appears that celebrities are favored in the United States justice system.
Fine print on food packaging misrepresents actual ingredients Nihad Kased Staff Writer
Ever since the horse meat scandal in 2013, people have been more careful with the things they put in their mouths. Many of the “extensive” words used in the back of food products are confusing and people tend to overlook them. Although amino acids can be good for your health, ingredients that contain amino acids fail to tell exactly what is in that amino acid. L-Cysteine, an amino acid used to prolong shelf products, is used to make many different types of bread. This ingredient can be found in duck and chicken feathers, but most of L-Cysteine comes from human hair. Reports have shown that most of the human hair comes from China, where it is gathered by barbershops and hair salons. McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts and Burger King all use bread that has L-Cysteine in it. Buying fresh bread from a local baker is a good way to avoid products that contain L-Cysteine.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology, another interesting ingredient found in your everyday food is Castoreum, the exudate from the castor sacs of the mature North American Beaver and the European Beaver. It is the yellowish secretion of the castor sac, which is, in combination with the beaver’s urine, used for marking territory. Castoreum can be found in products that contain vanilla, such as strawberry and
raspberry ice cream. The FDA, Food and Drug Administration, approves these ingredients because they are technically considered “natural flavors”. The FDA is responsible for monitoring trading and safety standards in the food and drug industries. They are responsible for “protecting the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, quality and security of human and veterinary drugs,
vaccines and other biological products, and medical devices,” according to FDA. Assessments on food additives are made by forming a group of scientists with different expertise. A typical review team consists of one or more chemists who review chemical identity and consumer exposure information of the product, toxicologist who study animal feeding studies to determine how much humans can intake, and review clinical studies. The last group, the Consumer Safety Officers, is responsible for managing the overall review process to make sure everything has been submitted. Consumers try to be aware of their ingredient intake. Things that are “naturally flavored” can be very deceiving, but researching ingredients can help one avoid these misunderstandings. FDA’s definition of “natural ingredients” might not be the Illustration by Nihad Kased same as yours.