It wasn't enough that Lindsay Lohan received a slap on the wrist for her latest legal entanglement, she felt the need to flaunt her victory over society by hosting rooftop parties (in full view of dozens of paparazzi) while on house arrest. Then, of course, she tested positive for alcohol in a drug screening. You may be thinking, "Well, she didn't leave her house and alcohol isn't illegal, so what's the problem?" But all of Lindsay defenders (both of you) need to bear in mind that if you were found guilty of a third of Lindsay's offenses, your @ss would be in jail right now.

Never mind that being convicted of theft while already on probation and fresh from court-ordered rehab would've landed mere mortals like you and I behind bars for a long time - you and I wouldn't have even made it to that point! Sure there are legal justifications for why Lindsay was able to walk out of court yesterday, despite the presence of booze in her urine and it ain't because the court bought her lame excuse about fermented tea. No, she got off for the same reason she has a dozen times before and for the same reason she'll beat the next case against her: she's famous.

Famous people getting away with murder (in some cases literally) is nothing new, but in Lindsay's case it's particularly baffling. For one thing, it's not like she's some A-list, mega-profitable star with a team of handlers paid to keep her out of jail. She hasn't had a hit film since Mean Girls in 2004, and by all accounts she's in serious financial trouble. Still, for whatever reason, she's famous, and fame is more important than wealth in Hollywood. The problem is, in Lindsay's case preferential treatment is the last thing she needs, and the fame she works so hard to maintain is the very thing keeping her from getting the help she so desperately needs.

So the question remains of how long she'll be able to keep it up. She's beaten the legal system several times already, but surely they'll catch up with her soon, right? Sadly, probably not. Lindsay and her team have figured out a way to keep her in the limelight and out of jail. There's no reason for her to mend her ways when she has yet to experience any real consequences. Furthermore, her run-ins with the law are the only reason she's still a household name. Once she stops appearing in the tabloids every week, she's one step away from one of those VH1 has-been reality series.

If no judge has gotten fed-up to the point of throwing the book at Lindsay by now, it probably ain't gonna happen, and there's obviously no one close to her willing to stage an intervention to stop the madness from going any further. It only gets sadder when you remember that it wasn't so long ago that Lindsay was one of the most talented, promising young actresses in Hollywood. You would think she would be able to take a look at what her life has become and recognize the need for change, but when everyone around you is constantly saying "yes," it can be hard to tell yourself no.