NPR: It Seems That We'll Always Have Paris in the News

It Seems That We'll Always Have Paris in the News

Paris Hilton arrives at a Los Angeles courthouse in May.

Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

Even when they try to put Paris Hilton in a place where we can't really hear from her for a mere 23 days, she still turns it into a mega press event.

OK, so, the entire planet knows that Hilton went to a Los Angeles County jail on Sunday night, several days before she had to start serving a 23-day sentence for driving under the influence, apparently because she just decided to get it over with.

So Paris goes to the Big House. Well, it wasn't very big. And authorities kept her in a special unit for fears some of the other young ladies serving time might, er, make her life not so "simple." (This also cut down on the number of people Larry King could interview later.)

Then out of nowhere Thursday, we hear that she has been released from jail by the sheriff's department because of an unspecified medical condition (congestive boredom would be my guess) and was told she had to wear an ankle bracelet for the next 40 days and stay at home.

Some people defended this action. Allison Margolin, a defense attorney in L.A., wrote a commentary in the Los Angeles Daily News that said that Hilton had not received preferential treatment -- most low-level offenders only serve about 10 percent of their time before being released. I would not want to be her answering service today.

It looked like Paris had gotten away with it again -- but not so fast. People (and more importantly, the media, talk shows in particular) reacted more like the Unabomber had been freed -- they were furious. Local officials, realizing this made them look worse than a bad suit on Arnold Schwarzenegger, started condemning the sheriff department's decision.

Now, the judge who put her in jail wants her back in court today at 9 a.m. so he and Paris can have a little legal heart-to-heart.

Have faith, dear readers, we still might get our 23 days of Paris-free life yet.

(Update: Sure enough, the judge ordered Hilton back to jail this afternoon. Read more.)

9:25 AM ET | 06- 8-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Perhaps someone should check the off-shore bank accounts of the sheriff for recent deposits from the Hilton family?

Sent by Roberto Lobo | 9:33 AM ET | 06-08-2007

Hey look! It's a life-size plastic reproduction of Paris Hilton. ... ... oh... wow. ... that's rea... whoa. that's scary.

Sent by Darren | 8:02 PM ET | 06-21-2007

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