July 27, 2007
Nicole Richie Sentenced To Jail, Probation
Judge Tells Reality TV Star She Is Lucky Nobody Was Killed
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Nicole Richie arrives at the courthouse in Glendale, Calif., on the arm of her boyfriend, Joel Madden, on July 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Richie, the 25-year-old daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie, was subdued and somber as she was lectured about her driving. She entered court on the arm of boyfriend Joel Madden.
Richie, who's rumored to be pregnant but has not confirmed it, wore a loose-fitting, knee-length black dress and spiked heels. She stood before the judge and softly answered "guilty" when asked how she pleaded to the misdemeanor charge. She initially pleaded not guilty in February.
She nodded when asked if she understood terms of the plea agreement (including 90 hours in jail and a fine of $2,048) worked out between her lawyers and prosecutors. Superior Court Commissioner Steven K. Lubell also gave Richie three years of probation and warned that she would go to county jail for a year if she violates it.Photos: Nicole Richie In Court
She must complete her sentence by Sept. 28. She can serve it in either a city or a county jail.
She was ordered to enroll in a drug and alcohol program and must prove that she has completed it when she returns to court on Feb. 20, 2008.
"You are not to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs in your system," Lubell told her. "You are not to drive without a driver's license."
He said the state Department of Motor Vehicles would decide whether to suspend her license.
"You are very lucky that no one was hurt of killed as the result of this incident," Lubell said.
Richie was arrested early Dec. 11 after witnesses reported seeing her black Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle headed the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank.
The California Highway Patrol said they found her parked in the car pool lane.
Richie told authorities she had smoked marijuana and taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin, a CHP officer said at the time.
No drugs were found on her or in the car.
Lubell warned Richie of the dangers of driving under the influence and said: "The facts of this case, as the court knows it, is pretty scary. Someone could have gotten killed or injured. The court does not want anything to happen to you.
"If you continue to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and someone gets killed, you can be charged with murder, not manslaughter.
"I hope that never, ever happens."
He said such a murder charge would come under a specific legal provision because she now has two convictions, the first one in June 2003 when she was convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol. The 2003 conviction made her eligible for a sentence of 90 days to a year in jail.
The reality TV star's lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holly, acknowledged to the court that the plea bargain reached with the prosecution was acceptable.
Richie made no comment to reporters as she left the courthouse, surrounded by private bodyguards.
Richie's jail sentence follows that of Paris Hilton, her co-star on the reality TV show "The Simple Life."
Hilton recently was released after spending about 23 days in custody for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.
Reports surfaced Thursday that the reality TV star will do a sit down interview with ABC anchor Diane Sawyer. It reportedly will air next week.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- You have GOT to lower the boom on all this DUI
stuff. No more fooling around. Read 'em the riot act. I don't care if it's the Pope you've busted. Come down hard the FIRST time someone gets pulled over by the cops for DUI. They did it once, they'll probably do it again. Impound the car. "Oh, you need it to get to work? Too bad. Tell it to your boss. We don't care. We're holding it for a month. We're gonna charge you for that too." Jail time before or after you impound the car. Their wives will do their nut. - Reply to this comment
Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z
Huh? What?
Oh.
Another spoiled brat.
Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z- Reply to this comment
- Now that Paris has spent 23 days in jail out of a 45 day sentence, I wonder how much time Nicole will spend with a 4 day sentence. Maybe one hour!!
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- Fascinating story, Katie. Really important, hard-hitting stuff! I can see now why CBS paid you all that money to lure you away from The Today Show.
Hey, did you hear the one about George Bush's grandfather's attempt to impose a fascist dictatorship on the United States? Not if you were watching the corporate US media. Here's a link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/document/document_20070723.shtml - Reply to this comment
- Agnim
The BABY won't be getting a prison record.
Do you think she is thinking of the baby?
Do you think that she will refrain from drinking while pregnant? If she is addicted, do you think that maybe because of this jail sentence that maybe she will be forced to seek help and therefore it could help the baby in the long run?
It is possible that those 4 days could mean the difference in that baby being born with disabilities from alcohol abuse.
Even if she isn't addicted it still might give her brain a little shake and give her time to "think" about what she is doing. - Reply to this comment
- "Obviously there is a certain amout of stress going to jail. But is isn't like a normal person would endure. When Paris went to jail the most stressful ...
Posted by erasmus6 at 12:46 AM : Jul 28, 2007"
Whatever the "stressful time", the government should not be setting the bad example that it is OK to be exposing and INNOCENT baby to any stress, to do it just to get to its mother.
I'm not that concerned about the mother who skrewed up and needs to be confined until she's responsible enough to not threaten the lives of fellow citizens with her automobile.
However, we can't be so vengeful that we lose sight of what justice should represent: Not an INNOCENT baby getting prison stress and prison record.
We've waited this long for the trial, we can wait a few more months for the sake of the INNOCENT child.
If you should kill a pregnant woman, do you know that you would be charged for killing her unborn baby also? So why is the government ignoring the baby in these instances of jailing INNOCENT babies? Narrow mindedness and SPITE! - Reply to this comment
- I'll bet Nicole's thinking if she hires a driver for the next 3 years and gets her handlers to buy her drugs for her it'll be smooth sailing. But it looks and sounds like she's got some serious addiction issues, and people make different decisions when they're drunk and high . . . one difference between her and the rest of us is where having a kid who's depending on you would force the rest of us to calm down she won't have to because she can afford nannies . . .
I'm skeptical of her chances of staying out of jail . . . also, the 2dui's count as priors for 10 years, so if she's caught a third time dui in that time, she's also going to get more jail time . . .
I hope for the baby's sake she cleans up her act though . . . - Reply to this comment
- Here in Ohio, the MINIMUM sentence for a 2nd DUI is 10 days in jail and a license suspension ordered BY THE COURT (not left up to the BMV) of 180 days, plus community service and a fine. Guess Californians have it a little easier, so if you want to drink/drug and drive - you ought to move to California...
In no way, shape or form has justice been done in this or Paris' cases and you can be *** sure that little Lindsay's case will go the same way - the only thing that MIGHT teach these spoiled little rich girls a lesson would be SERIOUS jail time (and I don't mean in the private, special-treatment unit) and a BIG fine. When you just pat 'em on the wrist and say "Now, now, don't do it again" they are taught that throwing their name and money around protects them from the law's penalties and that they are really above the law.
Be interesting to see if the DA and judge in this case come up with a little extra money in their campaign coffers come next election that is in the form of a check from Daddy.... - Reply to this comment
- Money talk's PARIS WALKS !!!
- Reply to this comment
- Someone needs to beat the living you-know-what out of these silly, spoiled party animal girly girls.
- Reply to this comment
- Agnim
Obviously there is a certain amout of stress going to jail. But is isn't like a normal person would endure. When Paris went to jail the most stressful time would have been when she first entered the jail.
She caused herself more stress than the jail did. Lets face it after she was in there she would have spent most of her time in her cell except for 1 hour a day which she could spend having a shower or talking on the phone etc. While she was in her cell she could read a book or whatever. At least she was alone in her cell with no one to bother her. And Nicole is only going to be in there for 4 days. I wonder if she will get out in 1 day, for good behaviour?
Now I guess there could be another thing that could cause stress to some: Having to take a **** in a toilet that is in an open room. - Reply to this comment
- She's once, twice, three times a screw up. Pretty on the outside, basket case on the inside.
Get a grip. NOW!!!!!!! - Reply to this comment
- "Obviously, Agnim - you haven't had a child. No, you don't leave a newborn for a few days with friends and family.
Posted by SusanHelit at 07:18 PM : Jul 27, 2007"
Be serious; I'm sure it happens all the time.
Anyway, I obviously meant leave the child when it can be left alone for a few days.
What's the freaking hurry; it's not like the felon would run away over a few days anyway.
No INNOCENT baby should be branded as a felon and expose to the stresses of prison life before it even had a chance to commit a crime. - Reply to this comment
- Obviously, Agnim - you haven't had a child. No, you don't leave a newborn for a few days with friends and family. Because you have to breastfeed them. You can't take a few days off of that (milk dries up and will not restart), you shouldn't not breastfeed (huge differences in health now and through life if you don't). Now is the easiest possible time for her to do her time - which she more than earned.
Prison - you don't seem to know what damage it will do during pregnancy - the answer is, none at all. The baby will be just fine, warm and cozy. - Reply to this comment
- PS Of course if GWB were to take up this sort of issue as his latest crusade then I guess women would be stuck . . . but whether or not it's better for the unborn to have to endure the stress of being in uteto while a mom is incarcerated or whether it's better for the baby to be without her mom probably nobody's studied that issue. Apparently it's an equal protection issue because suspending sentences wouldn't be available for expectant fathers or something . . . meh, now I'm just rambling without a point . . .
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- I would guess that the issue of whether Nicole wanted to serve her sentence while pregnant or after giving birth was up for negotiation if that was important to her. And I think the vast majority of women would prefer to do the time while pregnant rather than leave their newborn for 4 days if given the choice. But can't say for sure . . . jmo!
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- "Agnim, Agnim, Agnim.....Wouldn't it be better for her to do her measly 4 days while she is pregnant(that's if she really is) rather than after the baby is born because then she would have to leave her new born baby. Hello!
Posted by erasmus6 at 05:27 PM : Jul 27, 2007"
LOL
That's the whole point to "Leave the baby" out of it!
Leave it out of prison!
A new mother is going to leave the newborn baby with family or friends from time to time anyway; so that time to time could be in prison. Hello? - Reply to this comment
- okay....and factor in celebrity status, good behavior, and what ever bartering can be done, she'll be in about 12 hours...celebrity quarters, of course. Let's just hope she can exercise some degree of self-control at least while she's carrying a child.
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- And for the record I am an awesome mom, who ALWAYS puts my kids first!! ozone-baby,
It is great to hear from someone who can stand up and say that. Keep up the great job. (And it is a difficult, but rewarding, job.) - Reply to this comment
- Isn't it interesting to know that sentences are so light? Really does NOTHING to discourage the rest of the 'users' out there!
She was defiant and got off easy, stop the whining. - Reply to this comment
