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Bring your toothbrush to prison, Paris

Filan: Paris Hilton's jail sentence is absolutely the right result.   Justice has been served.

It's about time Paris Hilton learned that rules apply to her too.

Until now, the hotel heiress has lived her life as if the law was a buffet menu from which she could pick and choose which to rules to follow and which to disobey.

On Friday, after she had the audacity to arrive 18 minutes late to her sentencing hearing, a Los Angeles judge ended her a la carte lifestyle and sentenced Hilton to 45 days in prison for violating the terms of her probation. And she won't be allowed to serve her prison sentence at a "camp" for celebrities either. The judge ordered Hilton to surrender on June 5 to Los Angeles County's jailhouse for women, a 2,200 inmate facility. This is one accommodation in which Hilton will not be permitted to order room service, use a cell phone or a Blackberry, or do whatever she wants whenever she wants. She will be allowed outside her cell for one hour a day to shower, watch television in the dayroom with other inmates, or go outside for recreation.

And this is the absolute right result. Justice has been served. Hilton brought this on herself by the choices she has made and by her own behavior. And now she has to pay the price. It’s only fair. Were the judge to have ruled differently, it would have sent a message to our celebrity-worshipping culture that only "regular" folks have to obey the rules. 

Just what is Paris’ crime and why should she go to jail?

In January 2007, Hilton was convicted of reckless driving.  Her blood alcohol content was .08, which is illegal.   Her punishment then was a “get out of jail free” card.  She was placed on probation for 36 months, fined $1,500 and ordered to enroll in alcohol education classes.   And her driver’s license was suspended.

On January 15, 2007, Paris was caught driving with a suspended license.  If your license is suspended, you can’t drive.   It’s that simple.  On February 27, 2007, Paris was caught driving again at 11:00 at night, license still suspended.   She was speeding and she didn’t have her headlights on. 

Paris said she did not know her license was suspended, but she had to sign a piece of paper acknowledging the license suspension.   Guess what?  That piece of paper was in her glove compartment with her signature on it.

Oh, and those alcohol education classes she was supposed to enroll in by February 12th?  As of April 17 , she still hadn’t enrolled.

If it were you or me, believe me, the courts wouldn’t continue to tolerate violation after violation.  We have laws, so that people follow them.   We have consequences for people who do not follow them. 

Typically, a person with no prior record is treated with leniency at first by the court because they are a first offender.   Paris Hilton, a first offender in January 2007, was treated leniently when she was placed on probation and ordered to attend alcohol education classes.  When you are placed on probation, you are walking on eggshells to begin with.   You are essentially in prison, but not behind bars.  Certain rules are put in place that you have to follow in order to successfully complete your probation and stay out of jail.   When you are on probation, you are essentially demonstrating to the court that you made a mistake for which you are sorry and you won’t do it again.  

A probation officer monitors your conduct to make sure you behave in compliance with the court’s orders and that you have learned your lesson and mended your ways.   So, when you violate the terms of your probation by not enrolling in alcohol education classes and break the law again by driving with a suspended license, it is serious.   Usually, when you violate your probation, punishment escalates from a simple “time out” to incarceration.

Hilton drove with a suspended license not once, but twice, was caught speeding, driving at night without her headlights, and failed to enroll in alcohol education.   So what are we waiting for?  What’s the debate?  She has to face the consequences for her conduct.   The court cannot tolerate willful disregard of its orders.  She flagrantly flaunted in the court’s face her stunning and appalling notion that rules don’t apply to her.   Can you imagine what would happen if it were you or me?

The rules cannot apply to everyone else but Paris Hilton.  And why if she keeps breaking them should she continue to get breaks?   She shouldn’t.  She belongs in prison.  And she better bring her toothbrush, because unlike at the Hilton Hotel, if you forget yours in jail, you cannot call room service and order another.