if you were something of a problem child, driving your parents and possibly the law crazy, buck up. You're not alone. Even famous people get arrested. In fact, some celebrities' rap sheets extend into their juvenile years.
This buys into the whole idea that celebrities are just like us. They buy coffee, do laundry, and get arrested as teenagers.
Here are some of these famous former juvenile delinquents:
Criminal Justice Degrees Guide formulated a short list, including:
- Mark Wahlberg: The actor, age 16 at the time, was charged with attempted murder for beating a Vietnamese refugee with a metal hook. The victim was left blinded. At the time, Wahlberg was addicted to cocaine.
- 50 Cent: The rapper was caught going into school with a concealed weapon.
- Snoop Dogg: Snoop spent time in jail for cocaine trafficking in high school.
- Mike Tyson: Tyson was arrested multiple times as a juvenile. One time, he snatched a purse.
- Allen Iverson: The pro basketball player almost lost it all when he was arrested at age 17 for participating in a brawl in a bowling alley. Iverson allegedly hit a woman from behind with a chair. He served four months, though he was sentenced to 15.
In many cases, crimes and arrests made when the defendant is an adult are matters of public record. But some states will seal juvenile records so they aren't open to the public.
If that's the case, how come we know about some celebrities' rap sheets?
It could be that the celebs gave interviews talking about their prior arrests. Or it's possible that their records weren't sealed.
Whatever the case, these examples can prove inspirational. After all, seeing famous people get arrested only to become successes later in life can show at-risk youth that it can happen.
Related Resources:
- Top 40 Celebrities Criminal Records with Mugshots! (All Womens Talk)
- Juvenile Court Procedure (FindLaw)
- Soulja Boy Arrested in GA with Pot, Guns, Cash in Car (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Daryl Hannah Arrested at White House Pipeline Protest (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
