- Text
Paris Hilton Pleads Guilty: No Jail Time in Cocaine Case
Paris Hilton (AP Photo/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
LAS VEGAS (CBS/AP) Hollywood socialite Paris Hilton pleaded guilty today to misdemeanor charges stemming from her cocaine arrest last month at a Las Vegas hotel-casino.
PICTURES: Reality TV's Run-ins with the Law
Hilton faced a felony drug charge, but avoided jail time by acknowledging during the Las Vegas Justice Court hearing that she had cocaine in her purse and that she lied to police when she was arrested.
Hilton was arrested, along with 34-year-old Las Vegas nightclub tycoon, Cy Waits, inside the luxurious Wynn resort after a small bag containing 0.8 grams of cocaine fell out of her Chanel purse when she reached for lip balm in front of a police lieutenant.
Hilton, wearing a champagne-colored blouse, a black pencil skirt and black platform heels - told Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure the cocaine was hers.
The 29-year-old pleaded guilty to drug possession and obstructing an officer. Under the terms of the plea deal, Hilton will serve a year of unsupervised probation and have to complete a drug abuse program. The rail-thin blonde will also have to pay a fine of $2,000 and complete 200 hours of community service.
"The purpose of this at this point is that you change your conduct," Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure told the hotel heiress. "The Clark County Detention Center is not the Waldorf-Astoria."
Clark County prosecutor David Schubert echoed that sentiment, saying "Our main concern is that Ms. Hilton stay out of trouble over the next year."
Hilton's attorney, David Chesnoff, said the celebrity would attend an outpatient substance abuse treatment program, and that she would continue to volunteer with animal rights groups and children's hospitals to meet the requirements of the plea agreement, he said.
"I know Ms. Hilton is contrite and accepts the responsibility for her actions," Chesnoff said.
After the incident, Wynn Resorts Ltd. Spokeswoman Jennifer Dunne told The Associated Press that Hilton is no longer welcome at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, and Waits was reportedly relieved of his managerial duties at both establishments.
Complete Coverage of Paris Hilton on Crimesider.
- 4 accused of holding mother, child captive in Ohio
- Walter Lee Williams is 500th on FBI's "Most Wanted" list
- Victim in Utah church shooting expected to survive
- Report: College student kept girl, 13, in his room for a month
- Ind. woman, sentenced to death at 16, to be released
- Bulger Trial: Admitted killer Martorano calls self "nice guy"
- N.M. Police: Grandmother unmasks robber, finds grandson
- Italian high court gives reason for new Knox trial
- Mother beats man she believes molested her kids
- Univ. of Chicago student missing for five days
- Report: Child sex sting in Florida nets 41 arrests
- Digging resumes for Jimmy Hoffa remains today
- Cops: Utah man shoots father-in-law during Mass
- Cops: Calif. math teacher had sex with boy multiple times
- Search for missing woman, 19, in Tempe, Ariz.
- Affidavit: Drug deal led to murder of Ind. teen
