Paris: Sheriff must explain
2007-06-12 22:16
Los Angeles - Los Angeles sheriffs were on Tuesday ordered to explain why Paris Hilton was released from jail last week, an event that triggered an outcry and allegations of "celebrity justice".
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to request the explanation at a weekly meeting amid ongoing claims that the hotel heiress had received preferential treatment from the sheriff's department.
Hilton, who was ordered back to jail by a Los Angeles judge on Friday, was freed from her 45-day day jail sentence for undisclosed medical reasons last week after serving only three days behind bars.
However, her release angered civil rights activists and public officials, who said Hilton could have been treated for any medical condition at a prison hospital facility.
'White and wealthy'
Veteran activist Al Sharpton said Hilton had been granted an early release because she was white and wealthy, and questioned whether a rapper would have been allowed to go home early.
Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca has denied accusations of favouritism, saying Hilton had been treated more severely by the courts because of her celebrity status.
He said other people would have been unlikely to serve any prison time because of the early release programme. City attorneys have disputed Baca's claims.
Hilton, who remains in a medical unit at the Twin Towers jail in downtown Los Angeles, is scheduled to be released June 26, assuming time off for good behaviour.
She was sent to jail after a court ruled she had violated the terms of her probation for a drink-driving offence by twice getting behind the wheel while her license was suspended.