Image Source: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
What Was the Accusation?
In 2007, actress Lindsay Lohan faced criminal charges arising from two incidents involving alcohol, cocaine and driving. The first occurred on May 26 after Lohan crashed her Mercedes-Benz in Beverly Hills. She subsequently entered the Promises rehabilitation facility in Malibu. On July 24, police arrested her again after the mother of Lohan’s former personal assistant called 911 and reported that an SUV was pursuing her vehicle. Authorities identified Lohan as the driver. Police said her blood-alcohol concentration was between 0.12 and 0.13 percent and reported finding a small quantity of cocaine in her pocket.
On August 23, Los Angeles County prosecutors filed seven misdemeanor charges stemming from the two arrests. Prosecutors did not pursue felony cocaine charges because the quantities involved were below the threshold used by the district attorney’s office for felony filing. Through attorney Blair Berk, Lohan pleaded guilty to two counts of being under the influence of cocaine and entered no-contest pleas to two counts of driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent and one count of reckless driving. Two additional driving-under-the-influence counts were dropped.
The plea agreement called for one day in jail, 10 days of community service, 36 months of probation, an 18-month alcohol-education program, a drug-treatment program, fines and participation in a county coroner program. After the agreement was announced, Lohan issued a statement through publicist Leslie Sloane Zelnik acknowledging her addiction to alcohol and drugs. She said she had relapsed, expressed shame over her conduct and accepted responsibility for breaking the law rather than blaming others for her behavior. She also expressed relief that she had not injured anyone and said she had sought medical assistance to regain control of her health, life and career.
Key Apologia Strategies:
Mortification, Corrective Action, Defeasibility
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Transcript
Lindsay Lohan Statement to TMZ — August 23, 2007:
“It is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs.
Recently, I relapsed and did things for which I am ashamed. I broke the law, and today I took responsibility by pleading guilty to the charges in my case. No matter what I said when I was under the influence on the day I was arrested, I am not blaming anyone else for my conduct other than myself. I thank God I did not injure others. I easily could have.
I very much want to be healthy and gain control of my life and career and have asked for medical help in doing so. I am taking these steps to improve my life. Luckily, I am not alone in my daily struggle and I know that people like me have succeeded. Maybe with time it will become easier. I hope so.”
