Britney Spears and the due process of Law

Britney Spears is a well known pop artist, whom after her split from Justin Timberlake, has spirled out of control. Recently Spears has been involved in many well known cases such as outraged custody battles with ex husband Kevin Federline, which have ended with her being hospitalized for two days before being released. After this public outrage Spears has continued to the center of attention with her odd actions. She has been seen stealing a lighter from a gas station, shaved her head at a public salone, attacked a car, and her recent engagements with a poparatiz.

The most recent act of Spears came early Thursday morning around 1 a.m. when Spears was taken from her home and placed under, once again, a lock down in a mental institue to evaluate her illness. Spears was placed under this lock down due to the 5150 statute.

Under the 5150 Spears is placed in the 72 hour lock down due to either a family member, friend, peace officer, or psychologist whom is worried about Spears causing harm to herself. However, Spears must be evaluated by the proffesional personel of the facility to determine the surcomstances of the involuntary lock down. During Spears lock down if at any time the proffesional personel does not find Spear to be a threat to herself she is then able to voluntarily admit herself to continue treatment or the 5250 may become in effect.

The 5250 come in effect when the subject under confinement refuses the treatment. In order to get a 5250 in effect a letter must be written to continue the infinment. Spears will then be granted a hearing before a judge to determine if the facts presented against her are enough to hold her under another 72 hour lock down.

So far in the case of Britney Spears I feel that with her actions in last year have clearly proven that the 5150 statute has been put in place to protect her. She has been granted her rights throughout many of the cases against her, including her last lock down where she able to release herself after only 2 days. According to Wikpeida while under the 5150 Spears, or anyother patient, still hold the right to: "humane care, religious freedom and practice, participate in publicly supported education, be free from abuse or neglect, refuse medications except in emergency situations where danger to life is present; or by court order where the patient is found to lack the capacity to give or refuse informed consent via either a Riese hearing or via conservatorship, wear their own clothes, visitors, writing materials (including sending mail though they may be charged for postage), safe storage and access to their personal property, have access to private phone conversations (though may be responsible for toll charges), speak with a Patient's Rights Advocate, go outside for exercise and leisure (usually in a fenced area), access their money in amounts for small purchases (vending machine, etc.), be free from discrimination, refuse their picture taken for ID." The only right that the patient is not granted is the freedom to leave the facility.

Although I feel that Spears is getting the attention she needs, I do not feel that she is getting any type of break due to the code of ethics. Spears in the middle of a life crisis that is very dangerous to not only herself but her children and family as well. With the attention that is being drawn to this case, it does not seem that Spears is able to cope with her illness in privacy as which an "average joe" would be able to.

His Girl Friday

Today in Comm 387 we will be viewing the movie His Girl Friday which was directed by Howard Hawks. This movie is about A newspaper editor uses every trick he can think of to keep his ex-wife, an ace reporter, from remarrying.

The black and white film starts off in Walter Burns, played by Cary Grant, office of work when his ex-wife comes to visit to tell Burns to stop trying to reach her all time. Burns thinks that his ex-wife, Hildegard "Hildy" Johnson, wants to come back to work for him at the paper. Hildy turns him down and lets him know that she has a better offer and is engaged to Bruce Baldwin. She plans on quiting the paper and going far away from it so she can "be a woman". Burns does not take the news well and becomes very jealous of the supposedly rich fabulous Mr. Baldwin, whom "knows how to treat a woman".

I find it very amusing how Burns comically continues to refer to his ex-wife as "his wife" while in search for Mr. Baldwin to introduce himself. He uses his cosmical and over friendliness to somewhat assault, while befriending, Hildy's new fiancee. Walter takes both Hildy and Bruce to lunch where Bruce finds Walter charming and even likes him. However, this is all in one of Walters many plans to get Hildy back on the newspaper.

Before the lunch date is over Walter talks his way into getting Bruce to support his idea of Hildy writing another story for his paper. And the lunch ends over Hildy agreeing to write the story. The scene ends as though Hildy might have scammed Walter rather than him scamming her.

we have ran out of time for now in class and will resume the movie Friday.

Since Friday was a snow day here at SCI we are continuing to watch the movie Monday in class instead.

Comm 317 Due Process of Law

According to Wikpedia due process of law, "is the principle that the government must respect all of a person's legal rights instead of just some or most of those legal rights when the government deprives a person of life, liberty, or property."



Walter Burgwyn Jones served as a judge in the Alabama courts. He was involved in at least 60 clubs, organizations and jobs. Including some of these clubs and jobs were the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, which he was not only the founder and owner, Jones was also a proffessor as well. He was a member of the American Barr Association, Boys club of Montgomery, Alabama Bible Society, and many more. Jones wrote many books and confederite war poems throughout his career.



T. Eric Embry was the lead deffense lawyer in the popular case New York Times Company v. Sullivan.

Comm 387

While reading the four blogs that were assigned to us in class there were a few things that stuck out to me in all of them. All four blogs had some type of reference to journalism as a form of story telling. Journalism takes passion, time, effort, enjoyment, and research to be effective. It is the journalist job to make sure the stories he/she covers are factual but at the same time effective and interesting for the viewer. Reporting stories is just another way of telling a story.

Willing to learn

This semester in Comm 387 I would like to learn new ways to approach writing. I never thought of communications as my major before. However after transferring from Southern Illinois University Carbondale there were only few majors offered that went with my completed credits.

I had never really enjoyed writing before and have never done it just for fun. I am hoping that after completing this course I am able to use my creativity in a new way and become a stronger writer in the process.

I would love to see how journalism can connect to my graphic design and art background. Hopefully I will be able to find a career that I will be able to enjoy and have fun with after completing the communications program here at SCI.

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