Legal Commentary

Rudy Giuliani's Daughter Arrested for Shoplifting

By Jeralyn

Rudy Giuliani's daughter, Caroline Giuliani, a 20 year old Harvard student, was arrested Wednesday afternoon for shoplifting $100 of cosmetics from Sephora on the Upper East Side of New York, near her mother's apartment.

The store says when it learned who she was, it tried to call of the cops and told them it didn't want to press charges. The cops said it was too late.

The store video reportedly shows Ms. Giuliani putting about 5 different products in her pockets. She was given a desk ticket and the DA will decide whether to file charges. [More...]

Happily, Rudy's no longer in charge of New York, and his tough on minor crimes and quality of life policing strategy are no longer the law of the land. But, even though first time shoplifters usually get a deferred adjudication, so they can get counseling and avoid jail and a permanent conviction on their record, is that the right outcome for his daughter? Or, because of her father's last name or because she goes to Harvard, should she get a complete pass?

Rudy asks everyone to respect his daughter's privacy. He and his children have had strained relationships for a long time. Caroline joined a Facebook group for Obama when Rudy ran for President. His son Andrew has publicly described their estrangement. It was Rudy's ex-wife, Donna Hanover, who responded by going to the police station yesterday. Does Caroline even want Rudy speaking out on her behalf, even if it's just to ask to respect her privacy?

Back in 2004, I agreed to guest-post for a friend at his very conservative blog while he was on vacation. After watching a debate on TV with Dick Cheney, I wrote:

I was watching Dick Cheney and trying to picture what it would have been like to grow up with him as my father. I mean, forget about what he was saying, just his visage and demeanor. He was so stern looking. And his tone was so authoritarian. ...

...So here’s my mental picture of me at 15, as a daughter of Cheney: I’m a runaway, standing at the downtown Port Authority. I’ve got a tattoo on my ass, a needle in my arm, a cigarette dangling from my lip, and I’m just waiting for the next Midnight Cowboy to roll off the bus. Sorry, but politics aside, doesn’t the guy just give you the creeps?

I feel the same way about Rudy. I hope for his daughter's sake she doesn't feel that way, and that if she pocketed anything, it was her first-ever attempt at shoplifting and that she acted on a whim or felt a momentary need to rebel. It would really be a shame if her actions were the result of her complicated relationship with her father, or she needs professional help.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 05, 2010 (boomark / email).