Boy George Dodges Jail Time

Despite missing court-appointed community service as well as failing to pay the court fines, singer Boy George managed to dodge jail time today. However, that didn't mean he could dodge a severe scolding at the hands of the judge.

Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara gave Boy George until August 28th to complete his five days of community service given to him for previous offenses. Reuters reported that " Singer Boy George was threatened with jail by a New York judge on Monday for failing to complete a community service requirement because he wanted to do something less humiliating than raking leaves."

E Online reported of Judge Anthony Ferrara's ultimatum to Boy George. " This is a simple matter. Five days of community service. It's up to you as to whether it will be an exercise in humiliation or an exercise in humility. Your choice."

Motioning to the front door of the court room, Judge Ferrara aid to Boy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, " If you do community service, you go out that door." Judge Ferrara followed that up with the threat of jail. " But I'm going to make you a promise. If you don't do this community service, you go through the back door."

As for Boy George's take on the issue, the BBC quoted Boy George talking to the Press Association afterwards. " I don't care about doing cleaning up. My mum was a cleaner. I was worried I would have to wear an orange boiler suit, but apparently I can wear what I like. I'm going to dress up - I'll wear something loud." George went on to add that the arrest was "just a very unfortunate trauma."

Boy George, aka: George O'Dowd, ran into legal troubles earlier in 2006 on suspicion of drug possession resulting from an apparent home invasion where police found 13 baggies of cocaine. Goerge managed to cut a deal to avoid both charges and jail time, as The Mirror reports, "George pleaded guilty to falsely reporting an incident in March after claiming his Manhattan apartment had been burgled. Under a plea-bargain deal, he was ordered to undergo a drug rehabilitation programme in Britain and do five days of community service in New York."

Also under the deal, Boy George was ordered to pay a fine of $1000 but it appears the Culture Club singer has not kept up with his end of the bargain, which prompted the warrant and angered Judge Anthony Ferrara. According to a wire from the Associated Press via CBS News, "But the judge angrily complained that O'Dowd had not paid the fine and had never reported to the office that assigns community service work."

Boy George became a pop icon back in the 1980s with the band Culture Club, which produced such memorable hits as Do You Really Want to Hurt me, Karma Chameleon, It's a Miracle, Church of the Poisoned Mind, and Time. Boy George also went on the have later success as a club DJ in Europe, but it was his earlier struggles with drugs that led to the demise of the Culture Club. In recent years, Boy George reunited with his Culture Club bandmates for a series of tours throughout the U.S. and Europe.

[Additional Sources: Reuters, E Online, The Mirror, CBS, Associated Press]