Paris Hilton Wanted her DUI to Go Away
Paris Hilton was placed on 36 months probation and ordered to pay fines after pleading no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving, a reduction of an original charge of driving under the influence, according to an Associated Press news report posted on CBS News’ Web site.
Hilton did not appear in court, but her attorneys entered the plea on her behalf. Judge Michael Sauer also ordered her to attend an alcohol education program and imposed other conditions. He gave her the option of reducing her probation to 24 months if she completed 40 hours of community service. No immediate decision was made on that option. The fines, plus penalty assessments totaled about $1,500.
The 25-year-old hotel heiress drew international attention with her Sept. 7 arrest after allegedly being seen weaving on a Hollywood street in her Mercedes-Benz. Police said she appeared intoxicated and failed a field sobriety test. She had a blood alcohol level of .08 percent, the level at which an adult driver is in violation of the law.
Hilton later said she may have been “speeding a little bit” and was on her way to get an In-N-Out burger. She had been filming a music video all day without eating and that the only alcoholic beverage she had consumed prior to her arrest was a margarita earlier that evening at a charity event, Hilton said. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is equivalent to a guilty plea for determining sentencing.
Terms of Hilton’s sentence include not driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in her system and not refusing alcohol tests. She must also attend an alcohol program. Her plea was entered a day before a scheduled pretrial hearing in the case.
Several media outlets also quoted Hilton’s agent saying that she was relieved to put an end to it all by pleading no-contest. That is a revealing statement and explains why Hilton did not fight her DUI, which she could have easily done. She is not alone. A lot of people don’t want to go through the trial process, facing a jury and in Hilton’s case, possibly adding notoriety.
But consider Hilton’s case. Her breath test showed that she was just about at .08. She was exhausted after a whole day of filming a music video and then attending a charity event. And above all, she hadn’t eaten all day! A common mistake most people accused of driving under the influence make is they admit to their guilt without a good understanding of the law. Having one drink and driving does not mean you are drunk. Failing field sobriety tests does not mean you are drunk. Bad driving does not mean you are drunk. And above all just scoring a .08 BAC definitely does not mean you are driving drunk. Your blood alcohol level is influenced by a variety of factors.
If you would like to learn more or would like to find out how to fight your DUI, call an experienced Southern California Drunk Driving attorney for more information.
