If you didn't know already, a Florida judge sentenced Nick Bollea, aka Nick Hogan, to eight months in county jail for the car accident that seriously injured his friend, John Graziano.
If you're still in the dark, Bollea is the son of Hulk Hogan, and starred with him in the VH1 reality show "Hogan Knows Best.
I wound up catching the sentencing on TMZ accidentally, and my immediate reaction was that the judge was quite fair in handing down the sentence. Bollea also got five years probation, five hundred hours of community service, a court order that restricts him from drinking alcohol during his probation, and a three-year driver's license suspension.
The judge justified Bollea's incarceration without a prior criminal record by pointing out he believed Bollea willfully chose to get behind the wheel while intoxicated, and race the car at very high speeds, making the incident more than just an accident.
Eight months in county lockup is a long time for an act that carries no malice with it. But take into consideration that Graziano, Bollea's passenger at the time, will require a lifetime of medical care. Bollea's time is a cakewalk in comparison.
Moreover, Bollea pleaded "no contest" to the charges, which may have factored into the judge's decision not to adjudicate the case any further. Hence, he doesn't get a felony conviction.
Pleading nolo contende or "no contest" has the same effect as pleading guilty to a charge, but there are some technical differences carried into sentencing. However, if someone is charged with a serious crime again in the future, a "no contest" plea could come back to haunt.
So, it all seems like a well handed sentence given the nature of the crime and so on.
But, I saw a piece on CNN that asks if Bollea got preferential treatment. The prosecutor's office and the Graziano family recommended the maximum five-year sentence for Bollea.
Now, I still feel Bollea got neither too light nor too harsh a sentence given his celebrity, albeit D-list, status. But I wonder if others feel differently.
Should Bollea have gotten the full five years? After all, Graziano will have to live the consequences of the accident for the rest of his life. And Bollea has played the role of spoiled rich kid to a tee, cavalierly racking up speeding tickets and showing no regard for his own or other's safety while driving.
Or, should he have gotten less. He had no prior criminal record, and it might be fair to say the crippling of one of his good friends has taught him a lesson he will never forget.
I wonder what people out there in Fan Nation think.
One thing is for sure; a car is a big piece of machinery. It's stupid to operate it while drunk, or to go zooming down public streets at unsafe speeds. If you want to be a racecar driver, save it for the track. I hope people walk away from this at least thinking about that.
I think the sentence was fair. I hope it teaches him a lesson. I have seen this happen with other kids who think they are invinsible and as soon as they get out of jail, they are back racing and partying again. What I would suggest is that for his 500 hours of community service, instead of mowing lawns, or painting parking lines is to take care of his friend for the day to day care that he needs. Maybe that would settle his butt down and he would fully realize what he did and the actual impact it has made on Graziano's life FOREVER. It makes 8 months seem like a walk in the park.
taker 196207:05 AM EST