ACLU wants ‘Survivor’ winner Richard Hatch freed
Richard Hatch
Published: September 9, 2009
Updated: September 9, 2009
PROVIDENCE—The American Civil Liberties Union wants reality TV star Richard Hatch freed from a Massachusetts jail where he has been held on charges of giving unauthorized interviews.
Lawyers for the ACLU of Massachusetts on Wednesday sought the “Survivor” winner’s release from the Barnstable County jail in Bourne.
Hatch was taken into custody Aug. 18 at his sister’s Newport home after giving TV interviews that the federal Bureau of Prisons said it had not approved. He was serving home confinement for failing to pay income taxes on his $1 million prize for winning the first season of the show. He was convicted in Providence in 2006.
During the interviews, Hatch said the trial judge discriminated against him because he was gay. The interviews aired on NBC 10 News, the “Today” show and “Access Hollywood.“
The ACLU said Hatch has a right to criticize the government.
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Reader Reactions
Who cares either way? Another wasted story. This is not news. This kind of story making headlines is EXACTLY why we are in the mess we’re in. I’m not blaming the media for reporting it, I’m blaming the people in this country that WANT this stuff in the paper, you know, the zombies that sit there and watch Entertainment Tonight as if it’s a religion.
What is the ACLU standing in this case?
Let him rot in jail.
He probably has a boyfriend there by now anyway.
The ACLU has nothing more important to do than deal with Richard Hatch. Please, Please, Please, everyone, stop getting sucked into his world of crap. He’s not discriminated against because he’s gay, he’s treated like a jerk because he is one.
Correct, he does have the right to criticize the govt, absolutley. He also has to follow the conditions and mandates (no pun) of his home confinement, which he did not do. Hence his current situation. Simple, follow the rules, you’re good to go. Choose not to follow the rules, pay the consequences.
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