For the moment, the humorist Pierre Palmade will not go through the prison box. On Friday February 17, he was indicted for manslaughter and involuntary injuries by a driver under the influence of narcotics. The judge of freedoms and detention decided to place him under judicial supervision with house arrest in an addiction service, under an electronic bracelet.
“This is not pre-trial detention. It is not a judicial control either even if he is part of the prison population of France, because he is well under prison. If he were to be sentenced to a prison term, the duration he performs while being under an electronic bracelet will be deducted from the possible sentence to which he could be sentenced, “explains at the microphone of RTL, Master Dylan Slamalawyer at the Paris Bar and former secretary of the Conference of the Paris Bar.
“Disadvantageous treatment”
If Pierre Palmade does not respect the conditions of his assignment, he could go through the prison box. “It’s not in his interest. He is ‘lucky’ to have this electronic bracelet in an addiction center, which is quite positive for him.” Recalling that this decision, in this type of case, is “rare, especially for a question of means”.
“Most of the time it doesn’t happen that way. For once, there is a kind of different treatment because it is a media affair, which means that we have recourse to even more exceptional situations and solutions than for normal”, adds this criminal lawyer. “There was such an impact, such pressure that detention was required. I think it’s more of a disfavor treatment.”
The prosecution appealed the decision of the judge of freedoms and detention. “Pierre Palmade will go before the chamber of instruction which is a chamber of the court of appeal. A president and two advisers will take a decision in a collegial way, probably in the weeks to come”. In the meantime, the investigation continues, “which means that his personal situation may change“.
Finally, it remains to be seen whether Pierre Palmade will (or not) be sentenced to prison. “If we are on a case of manslaughter, prison may be widely considered and conceivable. But beware, even being sentenced to prison, we do not necessarily go to prison”.
