Adam Lambert Accused of Battery - Paparazzi Assault

When Adam Lambert appeared on American Idol he couldn't wait to hit the big time. Now, it seems the American Idol season 8 runner up has given a big time hit. According to TMZ , Lambert got into an altercation with the paparazzi on Thursday, September 16.

Lambert was wearing a disguise, but it may have been the goofy disguise that sent him after the photographer in the first place. It must have been a little embarrassing for someone, like Lambert, who considers himself a fashion icon.
In a tweet he asked his fans to forgive him for wear the floppy panama hat.

When photographs of the incident surfaced on the web Lambert tried to laugh them off via Twitter, "haha the photos are hilari-ous!!" I think he was embarrassed by the mismatched disguise.

Following the attack by Adam Lambert the photographer, Victor Eras, filed a report with the Miami police in which he accused Lambert of misdemeanor battery.

I'm sure no one likes having a camera shoved in their face at every move, and the paparazzi often over-step personal boundaries. Being hounded by the press and photographed incessantly is, however, part of living the lifestyle of celebrity. Adam Lambert should have thought of that before he donned an outfit in which he didn't want to be photographed.

Most celebrities have complained about the paparazzi at some point. A few, like Adam Lambert, have been so inflamed that they take the situation into their own hands and slug it out with a photographer.

Is Adam Lambert goint to jail?

If formally charged and convicted, the maximum sentence the maximum sentence for misdemeanor battery is a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. According to the Miami Herald, charges will not be filed by the Miami police. If Eras, the photographer, wants to pursue charges he will have to go through the state attorney's office.

There is no reason that Lambert would spend any time in jail, given this is a first offence. The only reason he would possibly have done jail time is to make an example of him. The state of Florida has no reason to make an example of Adam Lambert.

If the incident had occurred in L.A. I'm convinced that there would be no significant consequence for Lambert, given the pushiness of the paparazzi.

L.A. is taking the matter of paparazzi harassment into consideration for the protection of celebrities and as a matter of public safety. The country may be well served by a decision that sets a precedence for the paparazzi as they doggedly pursue celebrities around the country.

Adam Lambert minimized the incident and defended his actions via Twitter, saying, "It was literally harmless. If embarrassment is a crime -- that's all I'm guilty of." Apparently, the state attorney's office agreed with Lambert.

Lambert's actions did cross the line of celebrity professionalism, but he is by no means the first to be provoked to violence against in-your-face photographers. It just so happens that he went after one photographer willing to file charges to keep his own name and incident with Adam Lambert in the headlines.

Sources:

Adam Lambert --- Accused of Battery, TMZ

Adam Lambert Accused of Battery on South Beach, Miami Herald

Adam Lambert is Formally Accused of Battery, Hollywood.com