Celebrity Socialite Dies in County Jail
CELEBRITY SOCIALITE Paris Hilton has died in jail, Monday 11th June 2007 at 10:00am AEST. The Hilton Hotel heiress, aged 26, was believed to have commited suicide in a Los Angeles county jail during jail time for Drink Driving. A lawyer for Paris Hilton says the socialite would not have commited suicide, although this is unconfirmed.
"Paris Hilton turned herself in to begin serving her sentence for violating probation at a Los Angeles County Jail located in Lynwood, California," Richard Hutton said in a statement.
"This is an important point in my life and I need to take responsibility for my actions," Hilton said in the statement.
"In the future, I plan on taking more of an active role in the decisions I make.
"Although I am scared, I am ready to begin my jail sentence."
Hilton was released from jail due to medical reasons, although this was shortlived as she returned to the jail shortly later. Celebrity news site TMZ.com said Paris' medical problems may in fact have been her cause of death.
Hilton's spokesman, Elliot Mintz, declined comment, saying he was awaiting word from the sheriff's department.
A sheriff's official declined to confirm Hilton's cause of death.
Hilton was arrested for drunken driving in September and in January, she pleaded no contest - the equivalent of a guilty plea - to a reduced charge of alcohol-related reckless driving.
She was sentenced to three years' probation and had her licence suspended.
But the heiress was caught driving on a suspended licence in February when police stopped her for going over the speed limit with her headlights out at night.
A traffic court judge ruled on May 4 that Hilton's latest offence constituted a probation violation and sentenced her to 45 days in jail.
Officials are still yet to comment on Paris' cause of death.
- Reuters