Paris Hilton Says She Won't Appeal

Heiress Says She Is "Learning And Growing" From Her Time Behind Bars

(CBS/AP)  Paris Hilton said Saturday she was “learning and growing” from her time behind bars and has decided not to appeal her 45-day jail sentence for probation violation in a reckless driving case.

The hotel heiress was at a maximum-security detention center, where she was believed to have undergone medical and psychiatric evaluations to determine the best jail to keep her in.

“Being in jail is by far the hardest thing I have ever done,” Hilton said in a statement released by her lawyer, Richard A. Hutton. “During the past several days, I have had a lot of time to think and I believe that I am learning and growing from this experience.”

Hilton, in tears and screaming for her mother, was taken to the downtown Twin Towers detention center Friday after a judge ordered her back to jail, ending her brief stint under house arrest at her Hollywood Hills home.

“The Simple Life” star had been escorted from the courtroom shouting “It's not right!”

Hilton's lawyers sought to keep her out of jail on grounds that the 26-year-old was suffering an unspecified medical condition. Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer suggested that could be taken care of at jail medical facilities.

Hutton did not respond to repeated calls from The Associated Press to verify the statement but another Hilton attorney did confirm it was authentic.

With Hilton back in jail, Hollywood is wondering if the time behind bars will be a shot in the arm, a kick in the pants, or just too much for a woman whose image is built on being a naughty girl and a spoiled brat, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whittaker.

"I hope jail is a time for her to stop and listen and think," says Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman. "And you know, sometimes kids need a time out. Paris needs a time out. And the public needs a time out from Paris."

As Hilton sits in the downtown Twin Towers jail, one question lingers: Was celebrity justice served?

There was no shortage of twists and turns throughout the week after Hilton made a surprise visit Sunday to the MTV Movie Awards, where she told a throng of media that she was scared but ready to face her sentence.

Hours after the event, Hilton checked herself into jail and was expected to serve only 23 days because of a state law that requires shorter sentences for good behavior.

The ensuing drama erupted Thursday when sheriff's officials released Hilton because of a medical condition and sent her home under house arrest. She had been in jail for three days.

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Photos: Paris Hilton's Hideaway

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Friday's hearing was requested by the city attorney's office, which had prosecuted Hilton and wanted Sheriff Lee Baca held in contempt for deciding to reassign Hilton to home detention despite Sauer's express order that she must serve her time in jail.

Sauer gave no explanation of his ruling to send Hilton back to jail, but his comments throughout the hearing indicated he was affronted by Baca's decision to set aside his instructions and release the celebutante to her Hollywood Hills home.

"I at no time condoned the actions of the sheriff and at no time told him I approved the actions," he said. "At no time did I approve the defendant being released from custody to her home on Kings Road."

2Hilton's lawyers said the reason for her release was an unspecified medical condition. The judge suggested that could be taken care of at jail medical facilities.

CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen says that Hilton's lawyers can appeal the ruling and try to get her released earlier.

"At a minimum she probably won't have to serve the full 45 days — probably won't be punished for the role she played in this sorry episode. But I can't imagine that too many appeals judges will want to rush to her rescue," Cohen says. "The real bad actor here wasn't Hilton; it was the sheriff, the people in charge of the prison, who allowed her to leave jail yesterday without first checking with the prosecutor and checking with the judge. And I'm surprised the judge didn't come down harder on the sheriff and a little less harsh on Hilton."

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Photos: Paris In Stripes

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Following the hearing, Baca said he decided to put Hilton under house arrest because he was concerned about a serious medical condition he could not disclose, though his further comments suggested psychological problems.

He said he had learned from one of her doctors that she was not taking a certain medication while she was in custody previously and her "inexplicable deterioration" puzzled county psychiatrists.

Baca charged that Hilton received a more severe sentence than normal, which he said would have been either no time in jail or being directly placed in home confinement with electronic monitoring.

"The only thing I can detect as special treatment is the amount of her sentence," the sheriff said.

Hilton will likely be held at the Twin Towers facility for at least a couple of days before determining what jail she will be held in, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

3Despite being reincarcerated, she could still be released early. Inmates are given a day off their terms for every four days of good behavior, and her days in home detention counted as custody days. It appeared that Friday would count as her sixth day. Baca indicated she would serve about 18 more days.

Hilton's path to jail began Sept. 7, when she failed a sobriety test after police saw her weaving down a street in her Mercedes-Benz on what she said was a late-night run to a hamburger stand.

She pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines.

In the months that followed, she was stopped twice by officers who discovered her driving on a suspended license. The second stop landed her in Sauer's courtroom, where he sentenced her to jail.

[bbdoll725]

Mygramma: Its really sad to idolize people like Paris Hilton, sounds like your the one with self esteem issues not the rest of us. I dont knock her for coming from $$ or trying to use it to her advantage...Not at all! My issue is that shes a waste of space. She has done absolutely nothing with her life but socialize/party and make fun of everyone. yet you defend her like shes a peacecorp leader whos getting a bum wrap, or was falsly accused. Which is far from the truth. She did the crime, she should do the time. And as someone pointed out earlier, she already got 2 free passes...3 strikes your out! Some people are just bad apples. The parents do have some of the blame here, but not all, at some point you have to take responsibility for your own actions instead of blaming the parents. Paris is a grown *** woman, and its not her parents job anymore. Time for her to wake up and smell the Starbucks. Her sister Nikki isnt parading around like an idiot, disrespecting everyone so the parents cant take all the blame for her behavior. The point here is that she showed no regard for the law, and someone decided it was time to enlighten her.

[cornflower3]

i still want to know how the sherrif was bribed. paris threw a tantrum in jail and gets let out? what a hoot. and all this bs that is being said about her now. she couldn't think up any of that stuff. i hope she crawls back into the woodwork when she's let out of jail and we never have to see or hear about her again. spoiled brat. her parents should go to jail, too, just for bringing her up like this.

[erasmus6]

processor2 needs to go back into the cesspool from which he came.

[newsplease]

There is no way that 'statement' was written or even thought of by Paris. Her PR dept. and lawyers are working overtime on damage control. They must think we are even stupider than Paris, if we believe she's suddenly done this 180 degree turn and is now accepting of her sentence. PLEASE!!!
I don't blame her for her situation though. I blame her parents for raising such a spoiled, self-indulgent, anti-social daughter and for the whole celebrity hero-worship farce that goes on in America every day.

[sassycake]

i feel very sorry for paris. she is a product of her upbringing. she has been insulated from the real world all of her life by her money and had no idea what it felt like to have something happen that money wouldn't take care of. she is learning a hard lesson and if she learns it well she may end up being a better person.

[darrellwy]

They took Paris away from her candy so she threw a fit & got released for a " medical condition", now she will be good and serve the rest of her time willingly. I wonder what deal did she cut with the sheriff this time.Let me have my candy and I'll obey.Face it she still gets pampered & whatever she wants whether we here the real story or not.I wish the media would spend more time on something useful than a no good spoiled ugly little brat.Can't tell the difference from the real brat from the waxed one.

If you believe that I have some swampland for sale. An overactive PR person is releasing what she should say - not what obsecenties are probably coming out of her mouth.

[ms38654ob]

Doesn't this "statement" smack of a publicist at work? I bet her real statement was more like "Get me the F-U-C-K out of this god damned place you stupid sons of a b-i-t-c-h!"

The spoiled brat can't change her stripes over night.

Rot in jail you little nobody.

[processor2]

Paris Hilton is proof that beauty is only skin deep,
and ugly is to the bone.

...

Forget "separation of church & state", what this country needs is
"separation of hollywood & state"

Spoiled c-u-n-t

...

[processor2]

Paris Hilton is proof that beauty is only skin deep,
and ugly is to the bone.

...

Forget "separation of church & state", what this country needs is
"separation of hollywood & state"

Spoiled c-u-n-t

...

[processor2]

Paris Hilton is proof that beauty is only skin deep,
and ugly is to the bone.

...

Forget "separation of church & state", what this country needs is
"separation of hollywood & state"

Spoiled c-u-n-t

...

[erasmus6]

So let me get this straight. Yesterday Paris is escorted out screaming and crying "it isn't right!" and today she says she is "learning and growing". Are we supposed to believe that over night she has seen the "light"? I don't think so.
Someone has obviously told her to straighten up because she's looking like a complete fool. More than likely they showed her some pictures of herself, that would have done it.

[bareemperor]

As the booze and drugs wear off, Heiress Hilton will sober up and act like a human again. Jonesin for those designer drugs is hard on a girl, but she will be out and back on the stuff in no time.
This is as close to reality the woman will ever experience and it will drive her back to the bottle...

[shanev137]

Thank you Paris for sparing America with an appeal. I'm glad you were finally able to get your big girl pants on. Embrace your pain....it's the only friend you have now.

[toldyouso21]

Now, if you can only explain why that judge didn't do anything to that sheriff. Do you think the judge was in on it too, and this is his way of covering his azz?
Posted by JadedLady1 at 11:43 PM : Jun 09, 2007


the sheriff is too powerful and has too many powerful friends. Don't think the judge is in on the take--but in order to go after a really powerful sheriff, one must be able to not only take him down, but field power moves by some of the richest people in the country--not to mention the police force acolytes making the job miserable. Evidently the judge is in a corner and only has enough ballz left to defend just the small space in front of him--if he goes to far, chances are he will preside over only traffic violations. Face it--he already is presiding over misdemeanors, albeit high profile ones.

And you're welcome--Paris's story makes a change from the stuff I usually blog on.

[missut2]

missut2 As a professor of women's studies it's a pity you can't spell hubbub.


GP27271---
Sorry, Pal. I'm not the Professor of Women's studies....that's true_progress.
I was only responding to that particular post. You must have gotten confused because I displayed a portion of the original post in order to make a response. I assure you, I can spell hubbub...

[toldyouso21]

You are one of the problems with our colleges today. Maybe you should be placed in the cell right along with your liitle spoiled, strumpet sister Paris.

Go to jail, sick Bimbo. LOL
Posted by USA1881 at 01:31 PM : Jun 09, 2007


Okay--you KNOW that the thing claiming to be a professor is NOT don't you. I seriously doubt any professor would waste time reading about Paris let alone blogging to it. In fact, if you ask them what or who Paris Hilton is--at least half will say it is the Hilton hotel located In Paris, France. The thing that posted is a troll. Pure and simple--.

[toldyouso21]

I am truly amazed at all of the attention this matter is getting. I looked at this board yesterday and there were fifteen pages of comments, and today sixty-one. Why do you all care so much what happens to Paris Hilton? Your comments generally suggest that you don't like her, so why get yourselves all worked up over her? Change the channel, or turn the page, whatever, just ignore her. I'll bet a lot of you posters just have to pick at a scab until it bleeds too, don't you? Drop it and get on with you lives. In six months, most people won't even remember this happened.
Posted by berniepeders at 11:01 AM : Jun 09, 2007

LOL. and then berniepeders posted and added to page 62.... yeah right.

[incog-nito]

Too many whiners about how the rich get special treatment or more leniency than the average person. Of course they do! Whether you're rich or poor, when you're in trouble you will do everything you can with every available mean to get off easy. The rich get off easier because they have more available means. Simple law of economics.

[jadedlady1]

Gosh toldyouso21! I sure am glad you are here to steer us in the right direction. I mean, you just know so much! What would we do without your insight!

Now, if you can only explain why that judge didn't do anything to that sheriff. Do you think the judge was in on it too, and this is his way of covering his azz?