Arrest and Jailtime
While her business endeavors were taking off, Hilton's hard-partying private lifestyle would catch up with her in September 2006, when she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Hilton was arrested and placed on probation. The heiress was back in court only a few months later after the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office claimed that she had violated the terms of her probation by driving on a suspended license.
In May 2007, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail—a sentence that was later reduced to 23 days. Hilton reported to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, on the night of June 3, directly after she made an appearance at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. After serving only three full days in prison, Hilton was released early in the morning on June 7 for unspecified health reasons. The court ordered her to complete her sentence by spending 40 days in home confinement.
Responding to the perception that Hilton was receiving preferential treatment as a result of her celebrity status, a judge ordered Hilton to return to jail. Upon hearing the sentence, Hilton shouted, "It's not right!" and asked for her mother. She was subsequently moved to the medical wing of the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, and transferred back to the Century Regional Detention Facility on June 13.
Hilton was released from jail on June 26, 2007, serving a total of 22 days in detention. As networks vied for her first post-incarceration interview, the Hilton family drew negative press for attempting to extract a million-dollar fee from Barbara Walters and ABC. A furious Walters refused, and network interest dissipated. Eventually, a reformed Hilton appeared for free on Larry King Live, maintaining that the jail's minister had inspired her to make a "new beginning.