I was watching the news when I heard that many people had been injured or wounded due to crimes that have been committed in the world. This was heart-stopping news to me because many people all over the world have access to weapons.
“One day I woke up and checked my phone and I was shocked when I saw the actor, Alec Baldwin, was charged with manslaughter when he killed Halayna Hutchins in New Mexico with a discharged gun in an accident,” remarks Rachel Hwang, 10.
“I think that celebrities get away with crimes because they are more famous and well known compared to non-celebrities, ” Zhion FS, 10, shares.
“I think the crime OJ Simpson committed was pretty horrible and interesting at the same time,” Gabby Maldonado, 10 states.
Crimes are a big issue in society. Many crimes have occurred in the area, such as shootings, robberies, and drug abuse. Actions come with consequences, like getting arrested and paying fines. There is a lot that goes into solving crime cases, like looking for fingerprints, searching through one’s belongings, questioning, and more.
Here is a case that occurred last year that involved well-known actor, Johnny Depp, and Amber Heard, talented actress in the movie, Aquaman.
The Depp vs. Heard case was first held on April 11, 2022 and ended on June 1, 2022 in the Fairfax County Circuit Court. Depp had allegedly physically and sexually abused Heard. In the end, Heard was found guilty of the case because she had defamed Depp by calling him an abuser. Depp was given $1 million dollars from Heard, as well as $10 million in redeeming damages. Along with all that, he was given an additional $5 million dollars in disciplinary damages, all of this coming to a total of $16 million dollars,
“I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK,” says Heard.
“False, very serious and criminal allegations were leveled at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and had a seismic impact on my life and my career,” states Depp.
At the end of the trial, Heard was found guilty of providing fake immigration papers and scandalizing Depp by calling him an abuser.
The most recent celebrity crime that happened recently involved Danny Masterson, an actor from That 70’s Show. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping three women on September 7, 2023.
This took place two decades ago, in his home in Los Angeles, CA. He raped three women starting from 2001 until 2003. Masterson’s trial started on October 19, 2022 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, CA. The women who were raped, N. Trout, Jennifer B. and Chrissy Bixler. spoke out loud when the trial began.
“You relish in hurting women. It is your addiction. It is without question, your favorite thing to do.” cried Trout.
“I screamed “no” out loud, I curled up into a ball and… I woke up the next morning.” claimed B. “You can never be a victim, nothing ever happens to you that you didn’t cause…No matter what condition you find yourself in, no matter how horrible, you are responsible.”
“‘I don’t want to have s*x. No. Get off me.’ I just kept screaming that over and over.” exclaimed Bixler.
In the end, Masterson was found guilty of two counts of rape and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his actions in 2023. He was charged with the rape of three women, including his ex-girlfriend.
Crimes can be prevented from occurring by locking doors, having a strong and stable security system, and learning how to say no.
