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Paris Hilton Is Ordered Back to Jail
Paris Hilton, seen on her way to court Friday, screamed "It's not right!" after being ordered to serve the remainder of her original 45-day sentence in jail.
A judge today ordered a tearful Paris Hilton back to jail, reversing a decision by the Los Angeles County sheriff to release her and keep her under house arrest after she had served only three days of a 45-day sentence.
Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer said that Ms. Hilton will have to serve the entire sentence he had handed down last month for repeatedly violating the terms of her probation on alcohol-related reckless driving charges stemming from an incident last year.
As Ms. Hilton was led away to await her trip back to jail, she turned to her parents and said, "It’s not right!" The Associated Press reported.
The hearing had been delayed for more than an hour after Ms. Hilton and her lawyers insisted that she be allowed to talk to the judge by telephone, instead of appearing in person. The judge would not allow it, and ordered a sheriff’s deputy to drive to Ms. Hilton’s mansion in the Hollywood Hills, where she was handcuffed and brought in.
As Ms. Hilton was driven back to court, her trip followed by news helicopters, she cried in the back seat of the police cruiser. When she entered the courtroom, where her parents were also waiting, she broke down and sobbed.
Sheriff Lee Baca set off a furor in legal circles and beyond when his office announced on Thursday that Ms. Hilton would be allowed out of jail and instead put under house arrest because of an unspecified “medical condition.”
The city attorney who prosecuted her case, Rocky Delgadillo, said it was a case of preferential treatment for a celebrity. He asked the judge to order Ms. Hilton back to jail and asked the sheriff’s department to show why it should not be held in contempt of court for letting her go in the first place.
“We cannot tolerate a two-tiered jail system where the rich and powerful receive special treatment,” Mr. Delgadillo said after learning of the release.
Officials had said Ms. Hilton, a hotel heiress and cable television star, would probably spend only about 23 days behind bars because of automatic credits for good behavior, but prosecutors had not expected her to serve only three days.
In the original order sentencing Ms. Hilton to jail, the judge had specifically stated that Ms. Hilton would not be allowed a work furlough, work release or an electronic monitoring device in lieu of jail time. Ms. Hilton’s early release brought a storm of criticism.
Najee Ali, a community activist in South Los Angeles who heads Project Islamic Hope, said he was disappointed in the sheriff’s decision.
“It’s shocking that we’re living in a star struck judicial system,” he said. “Sheriff Baca caved in to the star power, the celebrity and wealth of the Hilton family. What happened is unprecedented.
“There are hundreds and perhaps thousands of inmates in Los Angeles County jails who have much more serious illnesses like AIDs, heart problems and they have never been released to go home.” On the television show The View, Elisabeth Hasselbeck sounded off on the early release, calling Ms. Hilton’s transfer "disgusting." She said it sends a message that "if you’re rich and you’re hot" then "we’ll let you off the hook."
Hilton had hoped to spend 40 days in her four-bedroom, three-bathroom, Spanish-style home in Hollywood, while wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.
The county supervisor, Don Knabe, told The Associated Press: “What transpired here is outrageous.” He said he received more than 400 angry e-mails and hundreds more phone calls from around the country. Ms. Hilton’s return home gives the impression of “celebrity justice being handed out,” he said.
City attorney spokesman Nick Velasquez said earlier Thursday that the office had been “inundated with calls and emails form people,” with “100 percent of them” angry about Hilton’s release.
Mr. Delgadillo said that no one had shown that Ms. Hilton suffered from any malady that could not be treated while she was serving her sentence. “Los Angeles County Jail medical facilities are well-equipped to deal with medical situations involving inmates,” he added.
Meanwhile, sheriff’s department spokesman Steve Whitmore told KNBC-TV that the contempt accusation “appears to be another Rocky Delgadillo press stunt.”
“We’ve examined documents and will respond accordingly in court,” he said.
But even within the sheriff’s department, others disagreed. Steve Remige, president of the Association of Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs, told KNBC that the system definitely worked in Ms. Hilton’s favor.
“It appears that in Los Angeles County, if you are a wealthy individual or famous individual, that you are getting preferential treatment in the county jail system, in the county criminal system,” Remige said.
The news about Ms. Hilton dominated news coverage today. At CNN, the news was breaking during the cable news network’s daily CNN International news hour. The Paris story led the show after one commercial break, coming even before updates on the G8 Summit and Italy’s Rendition Trial.
“It’s the kind of day where we’ll always have Paris,” Stephen Frazier, one of the anchors, said, trying for a wry delivery.
A member of the county counsel's staff said Baca was willing to come to court with medical personnel. The judge did not take him up on the offer.
Assistant City Attorney Dan F. Jeffries argued that Hilton's incarceration was purely up to the judge. "Her release after only three days erodes confidence in the judicial system," he said.
Hilton's attorney, Richard Hutton, implored the judge to order a hearing in his chambers to hear testimony about Hilton's medical condition before making a decision. The judge did not respond to that suggestion.
Another of her attorneys, Steve Levine, said, "The sheriff has determined that because of her medical situation, (jail) is a dangerous place for her."
"The court's role here is to let the Sheriff's Department run the jail," he said.
The judge interrupted several times to say that he had received a call last Wednesday from an undersheriff informing him that Hilton had a medical condition and that he would submit papers to the judge to consider. He said the papers never arrived.
Every few minutes, the judge would interrupt proceedings, state the time on the clock, and note that the papers still had not arrived.
He also noted that he had heard that a private psychiatrist visited Hilton in jail, and he wondered if that person played a role in deciding her medical needs.
The last attorney to speak was another deputy city attorney, David Bozanich, who declared, "This is a simple case. There was a court. The Sheriff's Department chose to violate that order. There is no ambiguity."
Hilton's twisted jailhouse saga began Sept. 7, when she failed a sobriety test after police saw her weaving down a street in her Mercedes-Benz on what she said was a late-night hamburger run.
She pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines. In the months that followed she was stopped twice while driving on a suspended license. The second stop landed her in Sauer's courtroom.
Back before Sauer on Friday, Hilton's entire body trembled as the final pitch was made for her further incarceration. She clutched a ball of tissue and tears ran down her face.
Seconds later, the judge announced his decision: "The defendant is remanded to county jail to serve the remainder of her 45-day sentence. This order is forthwith."
Hilton screamed.
Eight deputies immediately ordered all spectators out of the courtroom. Hilton's mother, Kathy, threw her arms around her husband, Rick, and sobbed uncontrollably.
Deputies escorted Hilton out of the room, holding each of her arms as she looked back.
Source: New York Times & AP
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