Paris Hilton Arrested for DUI (Video, Photos)

James Joyner @ Gone Hollywood | Thursday, September 7, 2006

Paris Hilton driving drunk? Say it isn’t so!

Paris Hilton Arrested for DUI Handcuff Photo 1

Paris Hilton Arrested for DUI Handcuff Photo 2

Paris Hilton was arrested in Hollywood early Thursday and charged with driving under the influence.

TMZ has learned LAPD officers noticed Paris driving her Mercedes McLaren SLR erratically at 12:31 AM and stopped her. They believed she exhibited signs of intoxication. We’re told they administered a field sobriety test, and Paris blew a .08. In California, driving with a .08 blood alcohol level is the minimum level for DUI.

Paris was arrested and taken to the LAPD Hollywood division, where she was booked. The officers who stopped the car did not know it was Paris Hilton until they approached the vehicle on foot. Police sources say she was cooperative. Paris had a passenger in the car — Kimberly Stewart, Rod Stewart’s daughter.

[...]

TMZ spoke with Paris as she was driving home from jail, stopping for Parliament Lights cigarettes en route. She says she “regrets it occurred,” and adds that she has been up for 24 hours, having shot a music video all day. (TMZ had exclusive access to the music video set and our video will be posted in a few hours.) Paris says she had nothing to eat and no rest the entire day.

TMZ spoke with Lt. Russ Wong, the watch commander on duty at the Hollywood station. He tells TMZ Paris received no special treatment, however he acknowledges he did not hold her at the station for the standard minimum of three hours. Lt. Wong says he released her after an hour and a half because a gaggle of paparazzi appeared at the station and posed a significant traffic hazard which he needed to abate. Lt. Wong says it’s SOP to release a first-time DUI suspect without bail if a responsible party is there to drive them home — Elliot Mintz was that party.

She is pretty skinny, so I guess a skipped meal isn’t hard to understand. And one drink might actually be enough to put someone her size over the legal limit, which is ridiculously low in most states.

UPDATE: ASL’s Alyk was at the party with Hilton last night and says she was not “pissy drunk.” Wizbang’s Kevin seems a little skeptical.

D-Listed’s Michael is having a caption contest.