Michael Douglas' Son Cameron Skates with 5 Years for Drug Dealing

Despite a heartfelt plea on the part of his famous father, Cameron Douglas has been sentenced to 5 years in jail, less time served. His dad, academy award winning actor, producer and director, Michael Douglas (Basic Instinct, Wall Street, Fatal Attraction) apparently tried to shift some of the responsibility to his celebrity and fame when he asked the court to take into consideration the difficulties his son had trying to find his identity with a famous father who, according to IMDB, makes $10 million per film.

But Richard M. Berman, U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of New York, was skeptical that the younger Douglas would be able to stay away from drugs and drug dealing unless given a long enough sentence to make him realize his actions were criminal. He handed down a 5 year stint in prison for Cameron Douglas and had a newsflash for the Douglas family: "We must get over the theme that Cameron Douglas is a victim." The judge read some 37 letters from relatives, friends and supporters, which he said were "misguided" and only "paid lip service" to the serious nature of the offense committed. Judge Berman also told Cameron Douglas that it was his "last chance to make it."

He noted that Cameron Douglas has been in jail since August 2009 until the present and this is the longest that the 31-year-old heroin addict has remained drug-free since the age of 13. Perhaps Michael Douglas felt that his ample resources would be sufficient to impress the court that he could pay someone to help turn his son's life around, but the judge thought Michael Douglas was kidding himself and being unrealistic.

Actor, Marlon Brando also tried this tactic when his son Christian Brando killed Dag Drollet, the boyfriend of his pregnant half-sister, Cheyenne Brando. Brando gave rambling testimony in which he described his son as a "basket case" and drug addict, blaming Christian's mother, Anna Kashfi, a little more than himself. At the sentencing, that didn't quite work out and Christian got a 10 year sentence. He only served 5 years.

What is the message that children with parents like this get? Well, in Christian Brando's case, it was even if you murder someone, I'll go to bat for you. In Cameron Douglas' case, substitute deal drugs for murder and add to both, I'll blame everyone but you. Perhaps a better lesson is if you break the law, you're on your own. Instead many parents, like Brando and Douglas, keep getting their troubled children out of paying the consequences for breaking the law. And they have resources beyond the comprehension of most of us with which to do it. Michael Douglas and his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones (who was also at the hearing) have an estimated net wealth of $278 million. But enabling just does not work. The problems escalate and they end up dead or in jail.

Cameron Douglas' legendary grandfather, 93-year-old Kirk Douglas also attended the sentencing. He is considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time and the oldest living celebrity blogger. Cameron's mother, Diandra Douglas, was present as well. She received $45 million in her divorce settlement from Michael Douglas in 2000, after 23 years of marriage.

Cameron Douglas' defense had requested a sentence of time served or at most, three and a half years. Obviously, this was rejected by the court. Nevertheless, the defendant and his father should be happy that he didn't get 10 years. As it stands now, he is supposed to do 52 months, pay $25,000 in fines and when he is released, he will still be under supervised probation and required to do over 450 hours of community service.

Michael Douglas is a very busy man with Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) coming out in late September, and Knockout (2011) in post-production. He also has several scripts under development. But he must know what his son is going through since he is no stranger to substance abuse problems. He was treated for alcoholism in 1992 at the Sierra Tucson Center. If he really believes the "sins of the father" are responsible for his son's drug problems, he will make ample time to help his son and possibly even attend therapy and counseling with him.

According to the N.Y. Daily News, Michael Douglas was overheard saying, "It's fair," about the sentence to his son's lawyers. But I wonder how he might have felt if the court had granted his rehab request. Would he have chalked that up to the court's leniency or to his own stupendous wealth and star status? Regardless, it would only have delayed the inevitable day of reckoning.

Sources:
Daily News: Cameron Douglas Sentenced
Hollywood News: Michael Douglas' Son Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
Film Bug: Marlon Brando
IMDB: Michael Douglas