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For those that have been following the news Dallas Austin (Popular American Producer) has just been pardoned from receiving four years for carrying 1 gram of cocaine through the airport. Does this mean that Dubai's political system can be manipulated just like the United States? I would normally assume if anyone was caught doing this in Dubai there would be punishment no matter who they are. I think this shows once again that money no matter where you are does bend the law. Any comments?

Firstly i have no idea who he is, but if he did the crime he should do the time.

The UAE is a drug intolerant country and should stay that way. He should have ben made more of an example of.

This place is so corrupt that it isn't funny. Famous friends and a lot of money and you can get out of pretty much any situation. Now there are some moral standards for you.

To be perfectly honest, I think this decision, and I don't care who made it, it, is a disgrace.

This Country, and Dubai in particular, is a place of double standards. what image are they giving to the outside world?

So, if you are rich and famous, you can come to Dubai with drugs, shag whores and do whatever the hell pleases you cos you will get away with it.

The mind boggles.

So will working close to one of the royal family go a long way to keeping me out of trouble??

Not that Im planning on any kind of trouble making

ajb wrote:So will working close to one of the royal family go a long way to keeping me out of trouble??

it might, and it might get you into alot of it too

I agree with Yorky - its feking disgraceful

Just because he's a name and Madonna and Co called the powers that be.

What sort of message does this send out apart from "if you got friends then you can do what you like"

or maybe they are afraind the US will bomb the shit out of them and take all the oil .. for "human rights violations"

arniegang wrote:
What sort of message does this send out apart from "if you got friends then you can do what you like"

Welcome to Dubai ....

Cargirl wrote:

arniegang wrote:
What sort of message does this send out apart from "if you got friends then you can do what you like"

Welcome to Dubai ....

If your worth $1million or over

does that mean i can do whatever i want

arniegang wrote:does that mean i can do whatever i want

yes arnie, as long as you invite me to the next coke party.

blow baby blow...

constantine wrote:blow baby blow...

HP hears that alot when he is on his knees.

it is a terrible decision, however it's no different then what goes on in the rest of the world. Anyone recall O.J. Simpson?

MaaaD wrote:or maybe they are afraind the US will bomb the shit out of them and take all the oil .. for "human rights violations"

You're probably not a million miles away from the truth.
Technically speaking, Dubai/UAE is one of those places that isn't a democracy and therefore should fall under the US's "Regime Change" remit!!

the_zooter wrote:

MaaaD wrote:or maybe they are afraind the US will bomb the shit out of them and take all the oil .. for "human rights violations"

You're probably not a million miles away from the truth.
Technically speaking, Dubai/UAE is one of those places that isn't a democracy and therefore should fall under the US's "Regime Change" remit!!

well said.

Be careful what you wish for............

It may not be 'democracy' but what we have here in UK barely passes for that anymore.

Since when was it news that the rich control everything??

Don't waste energy stressing about things you can't change. Be proactive about the ones you can.

murphy wrote:Be careful what you wish for............

It may not be 'democracy' but what we have here in UK barely passes for that anymore.

Since when was it news that the rich control everything??

Don't waste energy stressing about things you can't change. Be proactive about the ones you can.

Well Murphy as far as the rich controlling things after awhile it becomes quite evident that if you build a strong financial cushion between yourself and the citizen the rules tend to change from one person to another. I would be interested in knowing however what you believe are the things we should even make an effort about being proactive about. You kind of left that statement so broad. 7

tdot wrote:it is a terrible decision, however it's no different then what goes on in the rest of the world. Anyone recall O.J. Simpson?

OJ Simpson had a full trial that went on for months. Skilled lawyers who twisted and manipulated facts were able to provide enough of a shadow of a doubt that OJ got off. Dallas getting a pardon directly from a judge after celebrities started pleading his case is no where close to the same situation as the OJ Simpson trial.

I read that MJ may have "helped" in this decision. Owing a favour to MJ or going to jail. The latter thanx.

I agree he should do the time (I think the min. of 1 year taking off time served since May would have been more than fair) but it is a political and economical decision-let's be realistic, they are trying to encourage celebrities here and jailtime could be perceived as a bad rap albeit the correct decision and could be blown out of proportion elsewhere and lead to some damaging press. Not fair.....but that's life.

kanelli wrote:OJ Simpson had a full trial that went on for months. Skilled lawyers who twisted and manipulated facts were able to provide enough of a shadow of a doubt that OJ got off. Dallas getting a pardon directly from a judge after celebrities started pleading his case is no where close to the same situation as the OJ Simpson trial.

You mean OJ was guilty?? He said he was "100% not guilty".

Well, that's the thing, we don't really know for sure whether he was guilty or not. When I followed the trial I found that the evidence strongly supported that he did it.

kanelli wrote:

tdot wrote:it is a terrible decision, however it's no different then what goes on in the rest of the world. Anyone recall O.J. Simpson?

OJ Simpson had a full trial that went on for months. Skilled lawyers who twisted and manipulated facts were able to provide enough of a shadow of a doubt that OJ got off. Dallas getting a pardon directly from a judge after celebrities started pleading his case is no where close to the same situation as the OJ Simpson trial.

The pardon was not from the judge, it was from the Sheikh. Its normal that the persident of a country has power to give a pardon to a criminal. I am not agreeing with whether it was the right thing to do, i am just saying there was a trial he pleaded guilty and got a 4 year jail sentence then he got a presdiential pardon. Just wanted to get the facts straight

kanelli wrote:Well, that's the thing, we don't really know for sure whether he was guilty or not. When I followed the trial I found that the evidence strongly supported that he did it.

No doubt in my mind: Guilty.

Concord wrote:You mean OJ was guilty?? He said he was "100% not guilty".

Well, he would, wouldn't he?

I thought he was found not guilty in the criminal court, but liable for the deaths (and pay up please) in a civil court?

sharewadi wrote:

Concord wrote:You mean OJ was guilty?? He said he was "100% not guilty".

Well, he would, wouldn't he?

I thought he was found not guilty in the criminal court, but liable for the deaths (and pay up please) in a civil court?

Actually, I don't know what happened with that civil court case. Did he even pay anything... How weird that someone could be found not guilty in the criminal court, yet liable in the civil court.

kanelli wrote:

sharewadi wrote:

Concord wrote:You mean OJ was guilty?? He said he was "100% not guilty".

Well, he would, wouldn't he?

I thought he was found not guilty in the criminal court, but liable for the deaths (and pay up please) in a civil court?

Actually, I don't know what happened with that civil court case. Did he even pay anything... How weird that someone could be found not guilty in the criminal court, yet liable in the civil court.

He has not paid anything. His football pension is "untouchable". The reason he lives in Florida as many deadbeats do is because the law has a "homestead" exception. Meaning your "homestead" (house regarless of size and value) is inmune from collection of judgments. There is an outstanding judgement against him of $25M which is unlikely to ever be enforced.

The reason one can be found "not Guilty" (different than innocent) in criminal court and then liable in Civil Court, is the standard of proof. For a criminal case the standard of proof by the prosecution is "beyond a reasonable doubt" while in civil court the standard is "by preponderance of the evidence" (i.e. more likely than not - say 51%).

Concord wrote:

kanelli wrote:

sharewadi wrote:

Concord wrote:You mean OJ was guilty?? He said he was "100% not guilty".

Well, he would, wouldn't he?

I thought he was found not guilty in the criminal court, but liable for the deaths (and pay up please) in a civil court?

Actually, I don't know what happened with that civil court case. Did he even pay anything... How weird that someone could be found not guilty in the criminal court, yet liable in the civil court.

He has not paid anything. His football pension is "untouchable". The reason he lives in Florida as many deadbeats do is because the law has a "homestead" exception. Meaning your "homestead" (house regarless of size and value) is inmune from collection of judgments. There is an outstanding judgement against him of $25M which is unlikely to ever be enforced.

The reason one can be found "not Guilty" (different than innocent) in criminal court and then liable in Civil Court, is the standard of proof. For a criminal case the standard of proof by the prosecution is "beyond a reasonable doubt" while in civil court the standard is "by preponderance of the evidence" (i.e. more likely than not - say 51%).

Very interesting! Well, OJ made out pretty well in the end didn't he.