>but don't most celebs get off kinda light? plea down or
>whatever?

if the case receives media attention the opposite tends to happen - sentencing judges want to avoid the appearance that they're going light on the celeb b/c of their status so they tend to issue more harsh sentences than they might if the case hadn't received media attention.

seems like they more often than not avoid jail time
>that the average joe would get if he/she committed the same
>crime.

average joes often also avoid jail time. all of that depends on several factors - most important the defendant's criminal history. defendants w/'clean' histories usually receive a favorable outcome. also, defendants w/solid defenses available at trial tend to receive favorable outcomes when they plead guilty before trial - b/c the prosecution has incentive to resolve the case w/o trial.

plus, the gen pop often places undue value on a sentence that doesn't involve jail. i didn't see this b4 i became a lawyer - but it's usually better for folks to accept a jail sentence of a few months or even a year or so instead of accepting a years-long probation sentence. b/c being on probation for several years is tough! and folks are likely to violate their conditions which can result in re-sentencing to jail or extended probation w/added conditions. i find myself advising folks to take jail over probation. those who reject the advice regularly end up back in court on a probation violation anyway....