When a good man goes bad

Back in the 1970s and ’80s, Jeffrey Archer was an author whose novels I read avidly. He’s recently gotten involved in politics in the UK, almost becoming mayor of London before being charged (and now convicted) with perjury and intending to pervert the course of justice at his 1987 libel trial against The Star. During the suit in which these crimes were committed, he won 500,000 pounds from The Star; the tabloid printed a story alleging that Archer paid a prostitute for sex. It’s a convoluted story but he apparently lied to bolster the truth, not because he actually paid the pro. But now he’s going to pay: 32 months in prison. Archer, of course, is going to appeal.

And Lord Archer wasn’t the only creative type to go down to the law today: Old Dirty Bastard (aka Russell Jones) of rap group Wu Tang Clan was sentenced to four years in NY’s finest accomodations for possession of a controlled substance, cocaine and marijuana.