Paris Hilton's plea bargain

Jan 23, 2007, 11:30 GMT

Paris Hilton agreed a plea for her drunk driving case on Monday (22.01.07).

The hotel heiress, who pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of reckless driving, was placed on probation for 36 months. She must also pay a $390 fine and attend an alcohol education programme.

Hilton's representative Elliot Mintz said: "I just spoke with Paris an hour ago, and she is happy the matter is behind her."

'The Simple Life' star's lawyer Howard Weitzman - who is also representing Nicole Richie in her charge of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) - said: "We believe this was an appropriate resolution given the facts in this matter and both sides' desire to avoid a trial on the original charges."

Two weeks ago Hilton pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanour counts of DUI and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher.

The 25-year-old was arrested after midnight on September 7 last year for driving erratically in her silver Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren in Hollywood. She scored a .08 on a Breathalyzer test, which is the minimum blood-alcohol level to qualify for a DUI.

Hilton claimed she hadn't eaten all day and had only drunk one margarita cocktail at a party, before leaving to get a burger. She said she was driving erratically because she was so hungry.

(C) BANG Media International