LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hours after Paris Hilton was sent home under house arrest yesterday, the judge who put her in jail for violating her reckless-driving probation ordered her into court to determine whether she should be put back behind bars.
Miss Hilton must report to court at 9 a.m. today, Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini told the Associated Press.
“My understanding is she will be brought in a sheriff’s vehicle from her home,” Mr. Parachini said.
Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer issued his order after the city attorney filed a petition late yesterday afternoon questioning whether Sheriff Lee Baca should be held in contempt of court for releasing Miss Hilton on Thursday morning.
The celebrity inmate was sent home from the Los Angeles County jail’s Lynwood lockup shortly after 2 a.m. for an unspecified medical condition in a stunning reduction to her original 45-day sentence. She was ordered to finish her sentence under house arrest, meaning she could not leave her four-bedroom, three-bath home in the Hollywood Hills until next month.
“What transpired here is outrageous,” county Supervisor Don Knabe said, adding that he received more than 400 angry e-mails and hundreds more phone calls from across the country.
Miss Hilton’s return home gives the impression of “celebrity justice being handed out,” he said.
City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo complained that he learned of her release the same way as almost everyone else — through news reports.
“It is the city attorney’s position that the decision on whether or not Ms. Hilton should be released early and placed on electronic monitoring should be made by Judge Sauer and not the Sheriff’s Department,” said Jeffrey Isaacs of the city attorney’s office.
Judge Sauer himself had expressed his unhappiness with Miss Hilton’s release before Mr. Delgadillo asked him to return her to court. When he sentenced Miss Hilton to jail last month, he ruled specifically that she could not serve her sentence at home under electronic monitoring.
Mr. Parachini said Judge Sauer reminded the Sheriff’s Department of that when he learned Miss Hilton was about to be released. Mr. Delgadillo’s office indicated that it would argue that the Sheriff’s Department violated Judge Sauer’s May 4 sentencing order.
The 26-year-old hotel heiress’ path to jail began Sept. 7, when she failed a sobriety test after police saw her weaving down a Hollywood street in her Mercedes-Benz. She pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced to 36 months’ probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines.
On Jan. 15, she was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol. Informed that her license was suspended, Miss Hilton signed a document acknowledging she was not to drive. Then, on Feb. 27, she was pulled over a third time, which led to her three-day incarceration.
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