Is Michael Phelps the victim of an overzealous legal system?

Link: http://www.charter.net/news/read.php?ps=1013&rip_id=%3CD96A97981%40news.ap.org%3E&_LT=HOME_LARSDCCLM_UNEWS

I thought this article brought up some very interesting points in regards to the recent uproar surrounding Michael Phelps. In a way I definately think the whole ordeal has been overblown due to Phelps' celebrity status. I mean, the first headline I read to do with the situation led me to believe that Phelps had done something hideously wrong, not simply been caught acting in a manor that could land him with a minor drug charge. Not that I'm saying what Phelps did was right, it wasn't. But honestly, who was he really hurting? Surely the offense didn't warrant all the newscovering and attention it recieved. Perhaps the judge involved in the case is hoping to use Phelps as an example to other would-be drug offendors. I don't know. However, the way this is going I think Phelps is going to end up warranting an apology from the legal system handling his case.