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Paris Hilton Released from Jail

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 09:50:00 AM EST
Tags: Paris Hilton (all tags)
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Paris Hilton looks none the worse for the wear of three weeks in jail. As TMZ notes, she looks....refreshed.

I don't think the news will be all Paris, all the time tonight. ABC and NBC decided not to do exclusive post-jail interviews after unconfirmed reports that the networks would pay big bucks for the rights to photos from the Hilton family. Instead, Larry King Live will get the "honors."

As for the length of her sentence, as the LA Times reports:

An examination by The Times of seven years worth of sentencing data showed that Hilton's 23-day jail stay was more than five times the average than served since 2002 by those serving time for similar charges.

Meanwhile, the allegations against the City Attorney who asked for her jail sentence and his wife (who drove with a suspended license and no insurance but avoided jail even after being in an accident) continue raise questions about "fairness and hypocrisy" in the LA criminal justice system:

More...

Delgadillo had to weather a storm of criticism and acknowledged in response to inquiries from reporters that his wife had been ticketed for failing to obey a right-turn-only sign while driving her personal car with a suspended license in 2005.

Delgadillo admitted that his wife also had driven his city-owned vehicle with a suspended license. During one personal errand, Michelle Delgadillo damaged the city vehicle, which was repaired at city expense.

It then came out that Delgadillo's wife had a warrant for her arrest on a misdemeanor charge of driving without a valid license in connection with a 1998 Santa Monica traffic citation.

She pleaded no contest last week to driving without a valid license and was ordered to serve a one-year summary probation and pay $431 in fines and penalties.

Delgadillo's troubles continue to mount.

On Wednesday, in response to questions from The Times, he confirmed that he had enlisted members of his staff to run personal errands and baby-sit his children. The city Ethics Commission and the State Bar of California have begun inquiries related to Delgadillo's alleged use of city resources for personal purposes.

TalkLeft's prior coverage of Hilton's jail odyssey is accessible here.

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    Paris Hilton Released from Jail | 16 comments (16 topical)
    Grand plans (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by HK on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 10:50:19 AM EST
    I read that Paris is planning to open a halfway house to help in the rehabilitation of offenders leaving jail or prison.  If this is true, it is a great way for her to put her experience to positive use, regardless if her prison sentence was deserved or not.  Far too little is done to help those released avoid the effects of institutionalisation or, further down the scale, even just helping them to help themselves get on the right path.  So many people don't realise that doing this would benefit the whole of society, not just those with criminal records.

    In all fairness (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 12:21:51 PM EST
    An examination by The Times of seven years worth of sentencing data showed that Hilton's 23-day jail stay was more than five times the average than served since 2002 by those serving time for similar charges
    this "examination" has significant holes, as was discussed on previous threads...

    Delgadillo is a separate issue. (none / 0) (#1)
    by lilybart on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 09:56:56 AM EST
    Sounds like this guy pulled strings for his wife, which is not right.

    But Paris Hilton was caught driving without a valid license for a SECOND time, going 70 in a 35 mph zone without lights on. She had NO intention of taking the original DRUNK DRIVING conviction seriously.

    It is the DRUNK DRIVING that is the issue here that makes this different. I know that Justice should not be about fixing bad parenting, but this girl may  now decide to use a bloody driver from now on.

    she did not drive drunk while under suspension (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 10:01:48 AM EST
    I don't think the alcohol is the factor here. It's the attempt to make an example of her because of her celebrity that I object to.  And the city attorney's wife's conduct was worse in my opinion.

    Parent
    I didn't say she did. (none / 0) (#3)
    by lilybart on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 10:22:01 AM EST
    I only referred to the ORIGINAL drunk driving charge, which she blew off, obviously.

    Did the other cases you site as "similar" involve DUI or DWI AND TWO subsequent stops for driving w/o a valid license?

    If her original arrest was for speeding or running a light or pot or something other than drunk driving, I might feel much differently about this.

    Parent

    Question for ya lilybart.... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by kdog on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 10:38:57 AM EST
    Do you get as worked up about reckless driving as you do drunk driving?

    I'm curious because I find reckless driving a much more serious offense than drunk driving.  Granted, the two often go hand in hand, but people foam at the mouth at the mention of drunk driving without so much as a peep about reckless driving.  

    I blame MADD, and look forward to the day this "hysteria du jour" passes.

    Parent

    Define reckless. (none / 0) (#6)
    by lilybart on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 12:12:46 PM EST
    If reckless driving is worse than drunk driving, could you tell me how?

    Sure, driving 70 mph in a 35 zone is VERY RECKLESS and I would say worse than having had two beers before driving home.  Wait. Paris Hilton was caught driving 70 in a 35. oops

    This issue is about Paris HIlton, not all kinds of bad driving.

    Parent

    Thought you said earlier (none / 0) (#7)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 12:16:41 PM EST
    the issue was drunk driving.  I agree the issue is Paris Hilton -- and whether her incarceration was motivated by politics and celebrity.

    Parent
    It is. And that is what she was (none / 0) (#13)
    by lilybart on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 01:56:59 PM EST
    originally convicted for.  The issue is this individual, not whether reckless driving is worse or whether others use influence to get their wives off.

    You are WAY too smart for that last comment. In fact you are so smart that I am a daily reader of your blog for a couple of years now!

    Parent

    For example... (none / 0) (#12)
    by kdog on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 01:19:34 PM EST
    Driving the wrong way down a one-way street is reckless.

    I don't see how someone who obeys every traffic law while legally "drunk" is more reckless than that.  Yet we seem to punish the guy who blows slightly over the arbitrary limit more harshly than the knuckleheads who drive the wrong way down one-way streets.

    The issue is not Paris Hilton to me...the issue is crime and punishment and how out of whack our priorities always seem to be.  Drunk driving hysteria being the perfect example of priorities out of whack.

    Parent

    I just don't think drunk driving (none / 0) (#14)
    by lilybart on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 02:00:20 PM EST
    is a small problem. 30% of all fatalities on our hiways are related to alcohol abuse.

    I am NOT a jail-em-all person, not at all. I think our rate of incarceration is shameful.

    And I also agree that the legal limits have gotten too low, so if that is what you mean by hysteria, I agree with you!

    I have driven down a one way by mistake a few times!!  Again, no hysteria please!!

    Truck drivers should sleep more, people should not use cell phones or have sex or watch screens while driving. There is a lot more we can do to make our roads safer.

    Parent

    Sounds good.... (none / 0) (#16)
    by kdog on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 02:26:48 PM EST
    lilybart...thanks for taking the time to respond.

    Parent
    Spanish? (none / 0) (#9)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 12:30:07 PM EST

    Is Delgadillo Spanish for Nifong?

    I hope she makes 5 million on the book (none / 0) (#10)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 12:36:05 PM EST
    and spends it all on shoes.  She broke the law but they obviously used her to "set an example".  Use it to elevate yourself even more Paris!  Make them think twice the next time they think it might be fun to do it to a "face".  

    A better life ahead for Ms. Hilton? (none / 0) (#15)
    by LimaBN on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 02:06:58 PM EST
    Given that Ms. Hilton obviously has some brains and gumption, won't it be nice if this event is a turning point in her life?  Incarceration, however unfair, can occasionally result in persuading one
    to get serious with the rest of one's life.

    I respect Ms. Merritt's intense regard for constitutional rights - every one of them - but simply note that the point of the exercise of government is to further and better the human condition.  Ms. Hilton has not lost anything by this turn of events.  She has not lost her job.  Her income stream has not been affected.  She is no less regarded than she was before.  

    Ms. Hilton has now had the opportunity decide
    whether she wants to be remembered as just another pair of spread legs in one more dreary internet porn flick.  She has even had the chance to think about whether her mother knows anything at all about the world we live in.

    Ms. Hilton could turn out to be useful and conscientious person, and a force for a more progressive and better world.  Lord knows, there was little or no likelihood of such occurrence before.  Was there?

    Reckless driving, YES - but not the rest. (none / 0) (#17)
    by Yes2Truth on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 05:31:25 PM EST

    • Mandatory car insurance?  Corporate welfare.

    • Speeding? (limit in school zones etc., but that's all)

    • Driving after imbibing?  No laws needed other than reckless driving.  Having a beer on the way home from work would probably deter more road rage and related accidents than anything else.

     MADD is.

    Paris Hilton Released from Jail | 16 comments (16 topical)