People News

Jailbird Nicole Richie?

Dec 14, 2006, 12:10 GMT

Nicole Richie is shown in this booking mug released to Reuters by the Glendale Police Department December 11, 2006. REUTERS/Glendale Police Department/Handout

Nicole Richie will go to jail if she is convicted of driving under the influence.

'The Simple Life' star - who was charged for the offence on Monday (11.12.06) - has a previous DUI charge and California law states that a repeat offence carries the mandatory sentence of five consecutive days in county jail.

If convicted, Nicole would also have her driving license suspended for one year and be ordered to attend an alcohol education programme for a year-and-a-half, even if the second conviction is not alcohol-related.

Nicole, the adopted daughter of singer Lionel Richie, was arrested in the early hours of Monday morning for driving the wrong way along a California freeway.

She admitted to police she had taken the strong painkiller Vicodin and had smoked marijuana.

Nicole was first arrested for DUI in 2002. She told police she had eaten French fries and drunk a shot of vodka.

She pleaded no contest to the charge, was sentenced to three years probation and had her driving license suspended for one year.

Six months later, Nicole was arrested for possession of heroin and for driving with a suspended license.

Friends insist the 25-year-old only takes Vicodin to relieve menstrual pain.

A source told Us Weekly magazine: "She knows she made a mistake, but overall she's in a better place. She has come a long way from her heroin days."

The friend also claimed that Nicole actually weighs 95 pounds, not 85 pounds as stated in the police report.

The source added: "She's so proud of her weight gain. She doesn't know where the cops came up with 85 pounds and it's annoying to her."

(C) BANG Media International