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Does having celebrity "a-listers" ask for leniency help a defendant's cause at sentencing?

By Douglas A. Berman

The question in the title of this post results in from my afternoon read of The Star Magazine, which has this new article headlined "A-Listers Ask Judge for Leniency in Sentencing of Michael Douglas' Son." Here is the background: As Michael Douglas' son awaits his sentence for drug trafficking, Cameron Douglas' family members and friends ? including his dad, stepmom Catherine Zeta-Jones, grandfather Kirk Douglas ? have written letters to the judge asking for leniency for the heroin addict. After entering a guilty plea to trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in January, the sometime actor ? who appeared in It Runs in the Family with his dad and grandfather ? will be sentenced next week in Manhattan federal court.  While he faces a minimum 10 years in prison, letters from loved ones beg the judge for a lighter sentence and placement in a drug treatment program ? while largely blaming his parents for his massive troubles...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on April 07, 2010 (boomark / email).