Paris Hilton, speaking publicly for the first time since she was handed a 45-day jail sentence for a driving related offense, described her punishment as ‘cruel’ and ‘unwarranted’.
Shocked by the punishment announced, the 26-year-old high profile celebrity heiress also fired her spokesman, veteran publicist Elliot Mintz, whom she blamed for getting her into the mess, according to media reports published Sunday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer sentenced Paris Hilton, the heiress to the Hilton hotel fortune and the daughter of real estate magnate Rick Hilton, to 45 days in jail for violating her probation in a reckless driving case. In his judgment, the judge ruled that the blonde socialite knowingly drove her blue Bentley Continental GTC with a suspended license when she was stopped by Los Angeles County deputies on February 27 for speeding and driving without headlights on.
But, at the hearing, the star of the reality TV show "The Simple Life" said her publicist Mintz had told her she was permitted to drive for work-related reasons, and she was unaware her driving privileges had been completely suspended when police stopped her for driving without headlights. Hilton said Mintz had told her she was permitted to drive for work-related reasons after the first 30 days of her license suspension late last November, and she relied on that.
Rejecting Hilton’s claims that she didn't realize her license was suspended, Judge Sauer ordered her to report to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California on June 5.
"I told the truth," the heiress told photographers waiting outside her Los Angeles home on Saturday night. "I feel that I was treated unfairly and that the sentence is both cruel and unwarranted. I don't deserve this."
Hilton’s lawyer, Howard Weitzman, has planned to make appeal in order "to modify the sentence." Shocked and surprised and deeply disheartened Weitzman said his client has been singled out and the punishment doesn't fit the crime.
At the hearing, Mintz, however, took the stand in Hilton's defense, but his testimony was rejected as worthless by the judge. Nearly two days after the hearing, publicist told celebrity news Web site TMZ.com that he is no longer working for the hotel heiress.
“The day after the hearing, I sent an e-mail expressing my sadness over the ruling of the judge and the irrational sentence he imposed. In that e-mail I also offered my sincerest apology for any misunderstanding she received from me regarding the terms of her probation. To the extent that I have miscommunicated information I received from her attorneys......I am deeply and profoundly sorry,” the news web site yesterday cited Mintz as saying.
"Due to this misunderstanding, I am no longer representing Paris. For the record, I have nothing but love and respect for Paris and her family. Paris is a wonderful person and does not deserve the punishment that was handed down by the court. I only wish her my best," the statement added.
Hilton's troubles began when she was first arrested on September 7, 2006. At that time, she was driving home in her Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren after attending a charity event in Los Angeles where she had one drink, a margarita. She was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicant and driving with a blood alcohol level over California's legal limit of .08.
However, at the scene the party girl claimed that she had just one margarita, and the high alcohol content in her blood was a result of having no time to eat during a long day while making a music video for her new album, Paris. In January, she pleaded not guilty of drunk driving, and was sentenced to 36 months’ probation, alcohol education, $1,500 in fines and had her license suspended.
In February, Hilton was stopped in Sunset Boulevard for violating the traffic rules by driving without headlights. Sgt. Duane Allen Jr. of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department who ordered that time Paris to steer her car to the side of the road later impounded her $190,000 blue Bentley when they found her driving on a suspended license.
The life of the damsel has been in media spotlight ever since she entered the entertainment industry and has been subjected to criticism for her hard-partying lifestyle by almost everyone.
She is best known for starring in a fish-out-of-water reality show called, "The Simple Life" with a fellow heiress Nicole Richie, daughter of singer Lionel Richie. In November 2003, Hilton came in the headlines when a home video of her cavorting with her then-boyfriend Rick Solomon was published online.
I don't really care shes not even that famous anymore.
I think Paris Hilton should have deserved more time. I will for sure laugh when she gets out and ends up with someone named Tiny. I think she will be taught a valuable lesson.
I think that she need to go. It is her time to serve it. She better have at that place. Thanks you and have fun in jail.
Paris in a bright orange jumpsuit and orange vans... that's hot.
I think that she disrvise this. I hope that she has a fun time in jail. The food is bad, and the people reck, and the beds are bad. All i have to say to here is have fun in jail.
Lets lynch the b**tch!!!!!!
It's better to send her to Iraq to fight for our country... 45-day jail isn't enough for her....
Just to give her the most EXTREMELY generous benefit of the doubt and say that after the DUI and reckless driving in September, with the best attorney her money could buy advising her, she somehow still could not comprehend that her license was suspended. Okay, fine.
So, she chose not to sign up for the court ordered alcohol education classes within 21 days. In fact she NEVER registered for them. Maybe she didn't understand that part either. The court ordered community service? Perhaps her interpretation was that she was doing the community a service by showing up each evening scampering from club to club and allowing herself to be photographed. Oh, I forgot...THAT is her "job".
Up until this point, for argument's sake, somehow ALL of these things escaped her awareness. Then, in February, she was again charged for speeding around town without using headlights at almost midnight and driving on a suspended license and her automobile was towed away. This, certainly must have been at least a teensy clue to her that something was amiss, no?? Any minimally prudent or barely interested person would have at least inquired or had their pricy attorney or representative do so.
It is glaringly apparent that she was neither prudent or minimally interested. Any rational, sane individual with an IQ higher than room temperature would have absolutely figured out by that point that they were NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE!! Unless, of course, that person is absolute in their belief that they are above the law.
That belief, that she is above the law, must exist all the way to the core of her being, as evidenced by the fact that she has been photographed and videotaped virtually every night since the February incident, blithely slithering into her seat behind the wheel whilst chatting on her cell after leaving one bar to zip over to another.
When the photographers have done something to perturb her, she has torn speeding away, squealing tires and nearly running down anyone that dares to get in her path. On those nights when (GASP) a former one-night-stand or former girlfriend dares to violate her rarified airspace by happening to cross her path within one of these clubs, Hell hath no fury as she furiously drives tearing away with no regard to pedestrians or other traffic in other lanes.
The very night before her court appearance she was videotaped and photographed by at least 100 cameras as she was asked questions about the hearing as she settled cozily into the driver's seat before cheerily driving away. As is her preference and lifestyle, she was heading out for yet another night of partying in the clubs.
Interesting how Mr. Mintz is so willing to take the blame. A good PR professional, he's obviously setting up some reasonable doubt for any appeal. He'd probably do the time for her. No doubt he's getting well compensated despite being "fired".
She got a publicist ??
They should send her mom to Jail also. That whole family think they are UNTOUCHABLE. One "actor/Entertainer" already killed a FAMILY ONLY CHILD! and all the money in the world will NOT bring that FAMILIES BABY BACK!!
25 years old and won't take responsibility yet? Sorry, I agree ...ignorance of the law and blaming your publicist is weak. The fact that Paris' mother apparently showed disrespect & even challenged the judge gives some indication where the younger Hilton gets her attitude. It's not "cruel" to receive the verdict that any other citizen would....it's favoritism when you don't. Good for the judge. I mean, Paris stills gets to pick her jail or whatever, and the outcome of all this drama is added press time & public attention for a spoiled adult. I mean, here I am, commenting on it.
Ignorance of the law does not get anybody else off if they are caught. How in this world does Paris think that her argument of "not knowing" would excuse her from being held responsible for her actions? Of course, we all know that she knew she was breaking the law, but even if she didn't, that's not something anybody else can use an excuse. Oh yeah, I forgot, but she's "Paris Hilton" and she is rich, famous, and will sleep with anyone with a penis. You're right, Paris, this so not fair......cry me a river. Don't forget to bring your panties to jail.
So Paris, it's your publicist's fault that you're off to the County Hilton, eh? Was it you publicist that forced God knows what down your throat and then handed you the keys to your car? You are a poor excuse for a human being. Do you know that you spoiled little tramp?
What you did was endanger the lives of every other driver who was unfortunate enough to be on the same street as you while you were driving under the influence (and probably yakking on your cell phone no doubt). You got off LIGHT Paris. If you were an ordinary person, like those who were in harms way while you zigged and zagged your way to the next party, you would have been given double, triple what you got.
And you have the nerve to put blame on your publicist.
How pathetic it must be to be you Paris. Born into a rich family must be nice, don't get me wrong, but to do absolutely nothing with your life but sponge off the wealth created by your family is a damn poor excuse to call a life.
What you have is an "existance". You exist to act like a 4 year-old and not take responsibility for your own actions. You are a sad SAD excuse for a human being. Rough? yes, but true. One last thought before you go Paris, I wonder how many of those other drivers may have been on their way to check-in to a Hilton and further enrich your bank account.
Enjoy the 45 days, hopefully you'll grow up.
It was Paris' responsibility to know the terms of her first sentence. Afterall, wasn't SHE the one standing there in front of the judge during the court decision during her drinking and driving conviction? Has the pretty girl gone deaf? Must be nice to be able to blame your own troubles on someone else.
I don't know why she thinks she so special. She has not fullfilled any part of the first court order, and this was her SECOND time caught driving without a license. Just because someone confirms her opinion that she's above the law, doesn't make it so.
Paris' tale of following bad advice might have held more water if she had taken the classes that she had been ordered to take, and if she hadn't gotten caught once already. I'm pretty sure that her impounded car was a good clue that she shouldn't have been driving without that license.
This "cruel" punishment seemed pretty light to me. She should have been slammed in jail for parole violation the first time she was caught.
Nothing is EVER her fault, haven't you noticed that? She's always "misinformed", she "didn't understand", she has "people" that read her mail, she "signs what she's told to sign"....time is up chica, enjoy Lynwood...let's see you spout some of your racist and bigoted comments there...personally i hope you get your butt kicked but since you're going to be in admin/seg there probably won't be enough time.
who really cares???
I agree with you you are my fried. Call me
I think that Miss Hilton got too little for her crime. If someone not high profile and celebrity were to be charged with the same crime they probably would have gone to jail for a few years. She needs to suck it up and face the real world.
Cruel? As someone who lost a dear friend to a driver who had drank before getting behind the wheel, and as a former trauma room assistant, I think she needs to rethink what is cruel. Cruel was for her to get behind the wheel after she had been drinking which is how she got the suspended license in the first place. I think the judge did not want to be accused of going easy on a celeb as they have so many times in the past. Tell me that if you were the average joe blow who gets pulled over for dui, that you would have gotten off this lightly to begin with, then go out and get caught driving again with the suspension, do you think you would have gotten off so lightly a second time. 45 days in jail? yea right.
And no, im not a Paris hater. I am simply stating a fact. Drinking and driving kills, and if you were a nobody you would have been punished much more so than this both the first time and the second time!
IMHO
OMG! a celebrity being held accountable for her actions, it is almost unheard of!!!
I agree with her that she's been treated unfairly- when an average citizen does what she's done they'd get thrown in jail, fined, and have their license suspended on their first trip to court. They wouldn't have a publicist to blame, either.
She's been given ample opportunity to comply with the law and she simply chose not to. She claims that she "told the truth". It's true, then, that she's uncapable of taking care of herself; she has to pay someone to do it for her? I was always under the impression thatt nannies are for children. Note: just because you can doesn't mean you should. That only proves that she is utterly incompetent at even the most simple of responsibilities. She must be held accountable for her own actions.
At the end of the day, regardless of who she "pays to take care of these kinds of things" or how innocent she may think she is, she is the one who is at fault for making her own mistakes. No amount of money, however, will compensate for the copious amounts of ignorance that flow out every time this girl opens her mouth. I certainly hope the judge modifies her sentence, though- to the 90-day jail term that she would get if her last name wasn't Hilton.
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