Open Your Wallets, LA (UPDATED)

The first I heard of this story was this morning. The details, if true, are emblematic of what I've been saying all along about the ironic saga of a certain individual who now resides in the medical ward of the LA County Jail.

In a press conference held just moments ago, Pamela Richardson, Army Specialist 6, said she was denied serious medical attention during her March 2007 stay in the Century Regional Detention Center -- "a direct contrast to Paris Hilton." As a result, Richardson claims that a hernia she believes developed while in custody went untreated, plus she was denied her cancer medication, and worst of all -- she claims to have been verbally bashed and humiliated by being forced to crawl around the facility without the use of her prosthetic leg [or a wheelchair]. Richardson was arrested [...], held at the Lynwood facility and then released. Charges were never filed against her.

Richardson is an Iraq War Army vet and a double-amputee. According this morning's report, one of her legs was reattached, but is weak, for obvious reasons. Richardson is also black.

Does the case sound a little too "good" to be true?

There's another aspect of the story that has that certain odor. There are two words which, when uttered on TV or via radio, are guaranteed to induce me to turn off any broadcast. I suspect that I'm not alone, since Fox News didn't lead the story with the two words in question, but with the meat of the story. If they had done the former, I wouldn't have heard about it until later.

The two words are: Gloria Allred. Yes, Allred will represent Richardson in the latter's case against the LA County Sheriff's Department. However, if all of Richardson's allegations are true, she definitely has a case. I just hope that her case isn't tainted by Allred's camera/microphone-loving reputation. (Geez! Between Allred, Al Sharpton and Najee Ali [LA's local version], all the media courtesans are out in force on this one.)

Richardson is asking for one million dollars in damages, which, honestly, isn't exactly a king's ransom. Perhaps the Hilton family could pay it (or more).

(Thanks to TMZ)

UPDATE AND CORRECTION: I was wondering whether the Army had reinstated two of its 'Specialist' ranks--5 and 6, both deleted in 1985. It turns out that it hasn't and the assumption that Richardson was an Iraq War vet was my own, due to the report that Richardson has received her injuries while on active duty. My mistake.

(Thanks to Rich)