Oh, lordy! Boy George O'Dowd is in trouble again.
A clearly annoyed Manhattan judge issued a warrant today for the arrest of Boy George after the former Culture Club singer failed to appear in court, but the judge stayed the warrant pending his return at a later hearing.
Judge Anthony Ferrara said he will hold a hearing on June 26 on whether the singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, violated the terms of his conditional discharge after pleading guilty in March to third-degree false reporting of an incident.
The charge followed his false report of a burglary at his Lower Manhattan apartment where police found cocaine.
Under his plea deal, O'Dowd was to enter a drug program in England and do five days of community service in Manhattan. He was also supposed to pay a $US1,000 ($A1,349) fine and a $US160 surcharge, and avoid arrest for any reason during the next six months.
The singer was scheduled to appear today to explain why he wanted to change the terms of his sentence.
Ferrara angrily complained that O'Dowd had not paid the fine or the surcharge and had never reported to begin fulfilling the community service requirement.
"I put people in jail who don't pay fines," the judge told O'Dowd's lawyer, Louis Freeman.
"Why shouldn't I do that?
"I think it's important that Mr O'Dowd be treated like any other defendant," he said.
Freeman said he had told O'Dowd, who was in England, that he did not have to appear today but that he should be ready to fly to New York on a moment's notice. He said the singer would be present for his next court date.
Ferrara said that on June 26 he would issue a final order as to what O'Dowd must do.
Freedman said that O'Dowd hoped to do something more worthwhile than sweeping New York City's streets.
"There's nothing wrong with that if that's part of his punishment," Freeman said, "but it will turn into a media circus and the press will be following him every day".
Freeman said the singer intended to comply with the terms of his conditional discharge, but he hoped to work with an HIV/AIDS charity while taking part in an outpatient drug treatment program for himself.
Ferrara ridiculed Freeman's community service proposals, which included helping teenagers make a public service announcement, holding a fashion and makeup workshop, serving as a DJ at an HIV/AIDS benefit and doing telephone outreach.
Ferrara said he understood the objection to street cleaning.
"It's humiliation," he said.
AP
Abort the Loonie Right!
This is indicative of just how stupid Australian politics is getting. Gasp in wonder as conservatives confuse RU486 with Muslims and announce that 'Australians' are aborting 'themselves' out of exsitence?
Ms Vale has caused a furore by tying debate over the abortion drug RU486 with
published comments by an imam saying Australia would be a Muslim state in 50 years. She said Australians were aborting themselves out of existence and at the current rate of 100,000 a year "that's five million potential Australians we won't have here."
I bet she'd cry if hit with a complicated idea like a Muslim Australian wanting to take RU486 in full hijab.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006 in Apocalypso- world in meltdown, Australian Stuff, Commentary, Current Affairs, Dumb Journalism, Dumb People, Fundie Watch | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)