Richard Hatch has the American Civil Liberties Union on his side: The organization said Thursday that “Survivor” winner Richard Hatch has a First Amendment right to give interviews, reports the Associated Press.
Hatch, who had been under house arrest as he finished out a prison term for tax evasion, was returned to jail this week after granting two TV interviews for which he failed to get advance permission. He did have permission to talk to NBC’s “Today.”
Steven Brown of the ACLU’s Rhode Island chapter, said “It’s appalling to think that he has been sent to jail merely for speaking to the media about his own court case,” and noted that there weren’t the safety issues once a convict is in a private home as there might be if he was still in prison.
–Elizabeth Jensen
Hmm, doesn’t house arrest mean you stay in your house? Going outside the house without permission, one would think, would violate the terms of the agreement.