Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Judge Orders Paris Back Into Jail; High Drama In Court As She Escorted Out Of The Hearing
Aired June 08, 2007 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: An absolutely stunning turn of events today. Paris Hilton dragged back into court and thrown back into jail. You heard right. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, startling Paris Hilton developments. Paris dragged into court to find out if she`ll be thrown back in jail. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the worldwide outrage. Has justice been served? Why does it seem stars get special treatment? Get ready because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got a fired up special report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": That`s hot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Whatever, Paris.
And Paris` "Simple Life" co-star speaks out. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes one on one with Nicole Richie and we do not back down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Somehow I find that hard to believe that you don`t know what is going on.
NICOLE RICHIE, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": Well, I`ve just been working and promoting the show, so I haven`t seen the television or a computer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What Nicole has to say about all this outrage and what about her facing possible jail time? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT demands answers from Paris` possible prison pal.
Hi there. Welcome to the weekend. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off. Tonight, right now, Paris Hilton is back in jail. I have to tell you, this day has been surreal. Just one day after Paris Hilton was released from jail, just three days into her sentence, she was dragged back into court, nearly kicking and screaming, and a judge basically told her get your butt back behind bars.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the story covered like nobody else, including the dramatic scene inside the court, the startling picture of Paris in tears, and a nation saying justice has again been served. It was all like a great episode of "Dragnet."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the city, Los Angeles, California, center of a firestorm involving a humiliated drunk driving heiress, an L.A. legal system in total disarray, and a nation debating the fair treatment of rich and blonde celebrities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris Hilton is going back to jail.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Just when you thought she was out of jail, they pull her back in. A screaming Paris Hilton literally dragged back to jail on a judge`s orders, a day after the sheriff`s department ticked off the judge by letting her out after staying just three days behind bars.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: She was really upset. And she was crying. She was screaming, mom, mom, mom, it is not right. And she was kind of being pushed out by a female deputy. And Kathy Hilton was just beside herself. So it was quite the emotional scene.
ANDERSON: Not only that, the angry judge threw the book at Paris, ordering that she serve every single day of the 45-day sentence he originally gave her for driving on a license suspended in a DUI case.
LEVIN: At least for the weekend, she`s going to be in the medical facility at the jail where she surrendered on Sunday night. We know they`re going to appeal. It looks like the appeal is going to be filed on Monday. They`re going to file what they call a writ of habeas corpus, which basically means the body is being held illegally and they`re going to try to undo what the judge did today.
ANDERSON: This photo says it all, a clearly traumatized, humiliated and handcuffed Paris Hilton in the back of a police car, hysterically crying, just hours before her day of freedom came to an abrupt end. As news helicopters circled over her house, Paris Hilton was hand cuffed, put in a police car and hauled back to court for the hearing that would return her to jail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police now are driving her back to the courthouse.
ANDERSON: And bet you`ve never seen this before: a televised police chase where it is the cops getting chased. Check out these photographers, literally running after the cop car carrying Paris to her court date.
Just the day before, the Sheriff`s Department shocked the world when it announced that it was sending Paris home.
STEVE WHITEMORE, L.A. SHERIFF`S DEPT SPOKESMAN: She has been fitted with an ankle bracelet and she has been sent home and she will be confined to her home for the next 40 days.
ANDERSON: The reason? A medical condition that the sheriff`s spokesman wouldn`t name. But reports said that medical condition was actually psychological. The response was explosive. Reports that Paris may have gotten out of jail because of possible mental anguish ticked off everyday people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it is bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
ANDERSON: And civil rights leaders.
NAJEE ALI, DIRECTOR PROJECT ISLAMIC HOPE: I`ve seen too many inmates with much more serious medical conditions still being incarcerated. So for them to let Paris Hilton go, it is a hypocrisy.
ANDERSON: The judge who put Paris in jail wasn`t happy either, saying it was clear Paris should have gone to jail, not home.
ALLAN PARACHINI, L.A. SUPERIOR COURT SPOKESPERSON: We take our sentencing obligations very seriously in all cases. And in this matter, an unequivocal order issued by Judge Michael T. Sauer (ph).
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has it right here in black and white, a copy of the judge`s order, which clearly says no electronic monitoring. But Paris has her defenders. Immediately after she was sent home from jail, there was a mob scene outside her house as her parents and later her sister Nicky Hilton visited. Another relative told reporters that Paris is getting a raw deal.
KYLE RICHARDS, PARIS HILTON`S AUNT: Didn`t see anybody up in arms after Michelle Rodriguez left after two or three hours. I don`t think that`s fair.
ANDERSON: True, there was no paparazzi when actress Michelle Rodriguez got an ankle bracelet and quick exit from jail after violating probation in a DUI case. But she was sprung because of an over-crowded jail, not for any mysterious medical issue. But Paris Hilton`s aunt is right and in one respect; the uproar over Paris Hilton`s predicament is like nothing we have seen before, as we saw on CNN international.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re now, you know, being seen by viewers around the world, and this does look like another example of, you know, just the nuttiness of the American jurisprudence system.
ANDERSON: Now Paris Hilton sits in a jail cell, after a day in which she learned a painful lesson on the price of infamy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Tonight, Paris` attorneys say they will appeal today`s decision to send her back to jail. With me tonight in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of "Secrets Can Be Murder," out now. And joining me from Miami, noted criminal defense attorney Roy Black. Good to see you both.
Roy, plain and simple, what do you think? Did Paris deserve what she got?
ROY BLACK, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No I really don`t think so. I think Paris has been singled out for special treatment. Who else would be like a ping-pong ball between jail and home and back again, all within 24 hours? I think clearly the prosecutor and the judge are reacting to the public outcry. Unfortunately for Paris, it seems like most of America hates her and wants her to suffer.
And so the authorities that be out in L.A. want to punish her.
ANDERSON: So you think she should have served the remainder of her sentence at home under house arrest?
BLACK: Well, I don`t know the circumstances. Apparently the sheriff got information; either she has a psychological problem or some other kind of problem. And he decided that she ought to be released and put under home confinement. The judge, of course, disagrees and that`s when you get this battle going on.
ANDERSON: That`s right. It seems these two are going at it, because the judge said that papers were going to be filed about some sort of medical condition. Those papers never came and then the sheriff kind of went above his head really, and let her go early. Jane, what do you think? Did she get what she deserved?
JANE VELEZ MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Yes, she got what she deserved, Brooke. This is a great day for America -- I`m not exaggerating -- that Paris Hilton was sent back to jail. It was absolutely screaming special treatment that she was allowed to waltz out of that jail after three days, claiming this unspecified medical condition, when she was seen at MTV Movie Awards just a few days earlier, looking fine and dandy, thank you.
You don`t get a nervous breakdown that quickly. Any jail expert will tell you that everybody behind bars has emotional trauma and has physical complaints. That`s because they call it jail. So the message they were sending is, all those other women in the general area, in the general population, their pain and suffering didn`t count. They were second class citizens. They don`t feel pain as much as Paris Hilton.
Today, we learn, and I hope that it sticks, that we don`t have a two tiered system of justice and that she`s going have to do her time. That`s right.
ANDERSON: And to that end, she was looking healthy Sunday. Her attorney on Monday after her first night said she was doing fine. So some sort of mysterious medical condition popped up in a matter of two days, really. And, Roy, you know, the judge, in his original sentence, made it very clear that she was not to be released. No electronic bracelet, she was to stay in jail.
It seems to me here that the sheriff`s department not only made a big mistake, but underestimated the outrage this would cause.
BLACK: Well, take a look at that for a second. How many times does a judge enter a sentence saying it has to be 45 days, and you can`t have any kind of release. He put all these kind of conditions on it from a woman charged with reckless driving with some alcohol related, and then driving with a suspended driver`s license. And not only that, but they put her in solitary confinement, supposedly for her own good.
But Jane, you have to realize, I`ve been in a lot of jails.
MITCHELL: So have I.
BLACK: Yes, but I`ve seen many people have break downs quickly from being placed in solitary confinement. I don`t find that quite so unusual.
MITCHELL: It`s not solitary confinement. It is a special needs unit where she got her own cell, which she wanted. I don`t think she wanted a roommate. She actually got preferential treatment, even as she was being housed, by not having to have a roommate. She got the cell to herself.
BLACK: Jane, we call that solitary confinement, when you`re in a cell by yourself.
ANDERSON: It was isolation.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: I want to go back to something you said, you really don`t think the time fits the crime, do you?
BLACK: No, I don`t, because if you take a look at anybody else who was -- had the same activity, in Los Angeles, are they going get a similar sentence? If they do, then that`s fine. She ought to have it. My information is they do not.
I think she has been put -- you know, placed in a special condition because of who she is. Everybody is happy because they don`t like her. They look at her as a spoiled little rich kid. So let`s, you know, do whatever we can for her. You know what, from the viewpoint of the law, we don`t look at that. We`re not supposed to react to public criticism. We`re not supposed to treat people differently. She is being singled out.
MITCHELL: She has gotten preferential treatment all the way along. Not only was it alcohol-related reckless driving, but then she violated probation, not once, but twice.
BLACK: That`s not true, Jane. You got to check your facts.
MITCHELL: Come on, she was pulled over and she signed a piece of paper that said --
BLACK: That was before she was placed on probation.
MITCHELL: Well, she did it again.
BLACK: She only violated probation on time
MITCHELL: Two times, though, they pulled her over when she was driving when she shouldn`t have been.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: let off once, but cited twice.
BLACK: How many people are there in the jail in solitary confinement for driving with a suspended driver`s license.
ANDERSON: Can you understand why people were outraged when she was --
BLACK: Sure, because they hate her. Of course they do. And everybody thinks it`s special treatment.
MITCHELL: No, but I see kids who aren`t wearing designer clothes and who are poor minority Los Angeles, they are put down on the ground and they are spread eagled for having an open container. I`ve seen it with my own eyes. There is a double standard. And I think it is wonderful that we have put a spotlight on this two-tiered system, so we can eradicate it.
BLACK: Why did you mention designer clothes? Because she has money. Because she`s spoiled. Because she`s rich.
(CROSS TALK)
BLACK: But we`re not giving her equal treatment. That`s the complaint here.
MITCHELL: We`re giving her better treatment.
BLACK: She`s not getting better treatment, I can assure you. We`re supposed to treat people equally, regardless of who they are. She`s being singled out.
ANDERSON: This could go on for hours and hours, but I am going to have to wrap it up there. Criminal defense attorney Roy Black and also investigative journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell, thanks to you both.
BLACK: Thank you.
MITCHELL: Thanks Brooke.
ANDERSON: All right, we are just getting started on this Paris back to jail stuff. I`ve never seen anything like this. People all over the country, the world in fact, outraged. I mean, how come she doesn`t realize why people are so upset with her? My special report with a panel of fired up people on both sides of this, 30 past the hour. And yes, I`m daring to ask, could Paris actually be getting a raw deal here? Is she being treated unfairly?
I`m putting that controversial question to our special panel too. Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHIE: I take responsibility for anything that I`ve done. And I`m willing to face whatever consequences come my way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: My take no prisoners, pun intended, interview with Paris` "Simple Life" friend Nicole Richie. What does she think about all of this outrage and her possible jail time? That`s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN PARACHINI, L.A. SUPERIOR COURT SPOKESPERSON: The judge heard arguments. He heard out the county counsel`s office, representing the sheriff. He heard the defense. He heard the city attorney. He ruled that he was remanding Miss Hilton the sheriff`s custody to serve the remainder of her sentence at the Century Regional Detention --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. I`ve got to tell you, circus doesn`t even begin to describe what has been going on today. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson and this is our continuing coverage of Paris Hilton back in jail. And get this, Nicole Richie, her "Simple Life" co-star and BFF, best friend forever, could be joining her.
Nicole was charged with DUI, her second one, after driving the wrong way down a Los Angeles freeway in December. I had the chance to sit down with Nicole and find out how she`s handling her legal troubles and how she feels about having to go it alone while Paris is back in lockdown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHIE: We always promote the show separately, so wasn`t a big surprise.
ANDERSON: How difficult, though, is it for you to sit here and promote the show while Paris is going through everything that she is going through?
RICHIE: I`m doing my job. And I think with every job, you just have to put your personal life aside and show up and do your work. That`s what I`m doing.
ANDERSON: As her friend, what do you think she`s going through?
RICHIE: It is hard for me to say, because I`m not with her. So, I don`t really think it is my place to say. I think that the only thing I can really talk about is "The Simple Life."
ANDERSON: You know the old adage, there is no such thing as bad publicity. You are also a producer of "The Simple Life." You do have a vested interest. Do you think that rings true here? Do you think it will help the show?
RICHIE: Well, I don`t think that there is no such thing as bad publicity. I think that just depends on what kind of publicity you want. So I don`t really hold that true to my own life. I can`t really relate to that.
ANDERSON: Yes, and recently you have -- you have faced some publicity of your own that you may not enjoy, I would guess. You were on David Letterman`s show a couple of nights ago, expressing your concerns about you possibly facing jail time as well. What are your concerns?
RICHIE: Just, you know, I mean, I don`t have any specific concerns. Just, you know, I really hope for the best in my case, just like anybody would. At the same time, I take responsibility for anything that I`ve done. And I`m willing to face whatever consequences come my way.
ANDERSON: Yes, and you`re very serious about it now. On Letterman`s show, you were laughing about it and you said, I don`t know why I`m laughing. This is not funny. Why were you laughing?
RICHIE: Well, I mean, you kind of get lost in the moment, especially on a show like David Letterman, where he`s laughing and the audience is laughing. And, you know, it is just -- and especially on a show like David Letterman, which is such a light hearted show, when he brings up something like jail, which is so serious, you know, I mean, we were more kind of laughing at him or with him, as opposed to laughing at the situation.
So I would never laugh at a situation like that. I mean, it is not a laughing matter, which is what I said on David Letterman.
ANDERSON: You know, a lot of people right now are saying that many celebrities in young Hollywood aren`t setting a good example for young people. How do you respond to that?
RICHIE: I can`t speak for anyone else. I can only speak for myself. I know that I make some good decisions and I make mistakes and I`m human. And so I need the room to do that.
ANDERSON: In this show, "The Simple Life," you are a camp counselor. You are trying to set an example, you and Paris. Tell me about some of the things that you guys did, because I know there are some very light hearted things and then there are some very gross things like the enemas.
RICHIE: You know, we really try to make light out of every situation. And the good thing about Paris and I is that we never say no, I`m not going to do something. We go into everything saying, OK, well, we would never do this in real life, so let`s just give it our all and let`s do it. And it is actually so much fun. It is a great experience.
ANDERSON: A lot of people have raised -- raised concerns about your health. How are you doing right now?
RICHIE: I`m doing great. I`ve been doing great. And, you know, I`ve said that all the time. And it is a shame that, you know, people are just going to believe whatever they want to believe.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: You can see Paris and Nicole in "The Simple Life Goes too Camp" Sundays on E. By the way, we did some digging, and according to Nielsen Media Research, all this Paris stuff isn`t boosting ratings. They`re about the same as last season, so far.
All right, so that wasn`t an easy one. Nicole Richie being very careful about what she says about her friend Paris. Understandable. But so many other people really speaking out, outraged. Coming up at 30 past the hour, my SHOWBIZ special report, Paris back in jail. I`ve got a fired- up panel. I mean, does everyone even understand -- does Paris even understand why everyone is so angry?
And, I`m also going to ask this controversial question: is Paris being treated unfairly? Could she be getting a raw deal here? I`m putting that shocking question to our panel too.
Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRI IRWIN, NATURE SHOW HOST: She has said from the time she was very, very tiny that she just wanted to be like her daddy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
That`s Terri Irwin, Steve Irwin`s widow, such an emotional story, nearly a year after the Crocodile Hunter was killed. Our A.J. Hammer sits down with Terri, her daughter Bindi. The amazing story of how Bindi is carrying on her dad`s legacy next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: I just can`t believe this. It`s been nine months since Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter`s horrific death. You probably remember he was killed by a stingray barb while filming a documentary. Our very own A.J. Hammer just had a special chance to sit down with Irwin`s widow, Terri, and daughter Bindi, and he found out that eight-year-old Bindi is absolutely determined to carry on her dad`s legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: One of the most beautiful things -- and I have to imagine this is true for you, from what I see, is that she`s carrying on Steve`s legacy, in not a small way, Terri.
IRWIN: It is amazing how things have evolved. And I`m very, very proud of Bindi. But I think that it is natural, having grown up with Steve as her father. It is kind of hard not to be a wildlife warrior. And I think Bindi has got a unique perspective, having seen so much of the world, and seen what is going on.
And that she`s said, from the time she was very, very tiny, that she just wanted to be like her daddy. I`m really proud of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: She should be. It is remarkable how strong they have been. By the way, you can catch Bindi`s new show, "Bindi the Jungle Girl," which premieres on Discovery Kids Channel Saturday. She is so cute.
All right, the story everyone is talking about today, and I`m not kidding when I say its huge all around the world. Even one of our producers on vacation in the Middle East said it`s a big story there. Yes.
Coming up next, more of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s special report, Paris back to jail. Does Paris really understand why so many people are outraged? I`ve got a fired up panel next.
Also, there`s now some talk that Paris might have gotten shafted, that she got a raw deal and is being treated unfairly. I`m going to put that controversial question to our panel too. I`m interested to hear what they have to say.
And there is other big news out there. The secrets to making a Hollywood marriage work. Yes, some of them actually do. We have that advice from "King of Queens" star Leah Remini (ph). That is straight ahead. Stay with us.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, Paris Hilton back in jail; a dramatic day in court. An angry judge. Paris Hilton in tears, screaming "Mommy, mommy." Did she deserve what she got? Is Paris out of touch with reality? Or should we be feeling sorry for her? Paris Hilton back behind bars. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coverage of "Paris, Back In Jail" continues, right now.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off. And you are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Right now, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Paris Back To Jail". It has been a whirlwind day for a visibly shaken Paris Hilton. Just one day after Paris was released from jail following three days behind bars, Paris Hilton was ordered back to jail today by the same judge who initially imposed her 45-day sentence.
It all started this morning when L.A. sheriffs picked up Hilton at her home, cuffed her, and took her to court. She was shaking and crying during the hearing, and then, as she left the courthouse, Hilton was heard screaming "This isn`t right" and calling for her mom. The judge said Hilton will have to serve her full 45-day sentence behind bars as he initially ordered. Hilton is reportedly filing an appeal.
Tonight, we`re asking a lot of questions about this crazy Paris Hilton case. Why is there such outrage, not only in the U.S., but really around the world? We`re also asking does Paris have her head in the sand? Why doesn`t she seem to understand the outrage? And yet we also got to ask, is Paris getting a raw deal? Should we feel sorry for her?
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coast to coast with this special report. In New York, Court TV Anchor Lisa Bloom, Criminal Defense Attorney Rachel Kugel and Criminal Defense Attorney and TV host Lauren Lake. In Philadelphia, Temple University Professor Marc Lamont Hill; and in Hollywood, Howard Bragman, founder of 15 Minutes Public Relations.
Welcome to you all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Lisa, I`ll begin with you, why do you think there is such outrage? I mean, people were chanting outside the courthouse, lock her up, lock her up. What do you think? Is it Paris or is it what Paris seems to represent? Somebody who thumbs her nose at the rules?
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Because in our country, everybody is supposed to be created equally and treated equally; and if you`re rich, you can afford better lawyers and better experts. But once you`re sentenced for a crime, you should serve your sentence like everybody else.
And one-third of the people who are incarcerated in L.A. County jails have serious medical problems like diabetes, cancer, AIDS. They don`t get sprung. She gets sprung for some mystery minor illness like dry skin or tangled hair or stress, I don`t know what it was. But that is so clearly wrong. That`s why we have had international outrage.
ANDERSON: That mystery medical condition wasn`t even addressed in court today. You would think if it were that important, it would be addressed. Lauren, what do you think?
LAUREN LAKE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It didn`t have to be addressed because the bottom line is the judge made the ruling. The ruling was go to jail, go directly to jail, don`t pass go, and you don`t need $200. Do your time and then go home and get yourself together.
And then what the sheriff did is directly defy the judge`s order by letting her out and putting her on home confinement when the judge specifically said, no home confinement. I mean, hello?
ANDERSON: I think there is a bigger issue here about authority. And how things happen in the judicial system, a lot of people are raising those questions. And to help you understand why so many people think that Paris seems above it all, why don`t we look at the Paris timeline, shall we?
All right, Paris was caught three times driving with a suspended license. Cited two of those times after her DUI arrest. She arrived to sentencing early May, 15 minutes late. Walked the MTV Movie Awards red carpet before surrendering, claimed she would do the time the right way and then earlier this morning, she wanted to phone it in.
Howard, you`re the image expert. If you represented Paris, I bet you would fire her.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: Yeah, I think the bigger question is whether I would have represented her in the first place, Brooke. I`m pretty much known for kind of telling it like it is.
But a PR person has two jobs. One is to represent the client and represent them to the world. The other and probably equally important is to interpret the world for a client. And if I don`t do that, I become an enabler, and I just refuse to do that.
She needs to know and she needs to be real. And I`ve talked to her family and I`ve told them what is going on in the world.
ANDERSON: And what do they say? Are they not making it clear to Paris?
BRAGMAN: I think they`re very emotional. They`re very upset and they`re very scared. And sometimes when you`re in that position, it is very hard to understand the rational parts when the emotional elements are really overtaking it in your mind. But I think they`re going to understand and they have to understand.
ANDERSON: Yeah, thinking with their heart maybe, right now, and not their head.
Rachael, what do you think? Did Paris get what she deserved?
RACHEL KUGEL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I don`t. I know I`m going to be in the minority with this.
ANDERSON: Go for it girl.
KUGEL: I know there say certain shatzen (ph) Freud going on here. Everybody is enjoying this on some level. I want to feel bad for her, but I can`t help but feel bad for her at this point, seeing her cry, seeing her scream. I think --
ANDERSON: It is hard to look at these pictures. We`re looking at them now when she was in the car. She was clearly distraught.
Absolutely. And there has been a lot of talk in the courtroom that she did appear ill in some way. She was sick in some way, shaking and she had some kind of twitch, I heard. I don`t know what all this means but I think she got a raw deal from the beginning with this.
And you can like her, you not like her, but at the end of the day, I think she is being used here a little bit to make the points of people with agendas. That the judge here, the sheriff, they all have agendas. And, you know, we`re trying to use her as some kind of symbol. And nobody else would have gotten a sentence --
BLOOM: She`s a rich socialite having a meltdown. She`s 26 years old, crying for her mommy. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She could have done wonderful things with that fortune. Instead she chose to be a party girl and create a terrible example and make everything worse by being a drunk driver.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: You make a good point. She`s very young. They`re there is still time. She still can do great things with that fortune hopefully.
And Marc, I want to bring you into this. The one thing that keeps coming up is the fairness issue, that she got released after just three days while other inmates who are a lot poorer, sicker, some with AIDS, still in there having to serve their time. Does the L.A. sheriff, do you think, just not get that? Is there an imbalance?
MARC LAMONT HILL, PROFESSOR, TEMPLE UNIV.: It is a complex situation. On the one hand she absolutely got treatment that no other poor person would get in the United States. Nobody gets out of jail for three days for having a headache or stomach ache or whatever it was. That`s a fact, when you go to jail, that`s what happens you get sick, you get nervous, you have what might appear to be a nervous breakdown. She looked fine at the MTV Awards. So I think she was fine.
But I agree with the other person, I mean, nobody goes to jail for 45 days and sits in a cell by themselves, for violating probation, you know, for driving with a suspended license. That`s unusual. She got a raw deal from the beginning. They picked her out to make it seem as if we don`t have a two-tiered system.
It is two-tier; poor people, black people, brown people, they all it bad in America, with the court system. Putting Paris Hilton in jail with an excessive punishment doesn`t change that. I think she got a raw deal at the beginning and I think she got preferential treatment at the end.
ANDERSON: Rachel, you got somebody on your team.
KUGEL: Thank god.
ANDERSON: Lisa, I want to go back to something you said. Do you think Paris doesn`t get it? She lives in this bubble of special privilege and can`t understand why people would be irate she got to go home early, to begin with, to serve her time in her mansion?
BLOOM: She clearly doesn`t get it. She`s born and lived in a cocoon and she -- look, she has made herself into a successful person. She`s a successful business person, really, by marketing herself, very well. So I give her credit for that.
But she`s not a grown-up. And the question is will she ever be a grown-up? I mean, how humiliating to be 26 years old and to be crying for your mommy. Think of Martha Stewart, she held her head high, she went in and did her time, and when asked about it afterwards, she said, It was fine. She wouldn`t give the prosecutors and law enforcement the satisfaction of seeing her sweat. Now that`s a role model, frankly. If I had to go in, I want to be like her.
ANDERSON: Lauren, 10 seconds what do you think? Can this really change Paris?
LAKE: No! Gosh! This needs to change her, but I need to say this: quit feeling bad for Paris. She has every opportunity and every dollar in the world to get it together. She could have had a driver drive her around for goodness sakes. As defense attorneys, you tell your clients don`t test the court or you may come up short. Paris tested and came up short. Live with it.
BLOOM: She had a driver today. She had a driver today.
ANDERSON: She certainly did have a driver. Maybe not the one she wanted but she had a driver. I love that passion, guys. Don`t go anywhere. We are not done.
While Paris-bashing does seem to be the national past time these days, we`re going to dare to ask a question that, believe it or not, a lot of people are asking, including Marc and Rachel; Is Paris Hilton actually getting a raw deal here? Is there a double standard that should make us feel sorry for Paris? We`re going to have a go at that when our SHOWBIZ special report continues in just a moment.
And I absolutely loved what "King of Queens" star Leah Remini told us when we asked what her secret is to making a marriage work. And let`s just say, guys everywhere are going to say "right on" when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT comes right back. Keep it here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLAN PARACHINI, SPOKESPERSON, SUPERIOR COURT: The judge heard arguments, he heard out the county counsel`s office representing the sheriff. He heard the defense. He heard the city attorney. He ruled that he has remanding Miss Hilton, to sheriff`s custody to serve the remainder of her sentence at the Century Regional Detention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Serve the remainder of her sentence. Those are the words that made Paris Hilton cry in court today after she was sent back to jail to complete her 45-day sentence. She violated her probation for a DUI arrest.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
You`re watching a SHOWBIZ special report: "Paris back to jail!"
Today a Los Angeles judge ordered Paris Hilton to the slammer, just one day after the Los Angeles county sheriff released her to complete her sentence under house arrest. We are back now with our coast-to-coast very passionate panel.
All right, heading to court today, Paris, in tears, visibly shaking, crying hysterically. And when the judge sent her back to jail, she cried out in court, mom, mom, it is not right. It`s not right.
Attorney Lauren Lake in New York, should we have sympathy for Paris?
LAKE: No. It is not about sympathy. Everybody is -- oh, Paris was crying. All my clients cry. Grown men, boo-hoo, cry. They call you on the phone. I can`t make it. I`m going down in here. You know what? This is what you to do, take a deep breath, do some push-ups and calm down!
If there was a legal stance for them to challenge this on, they will. But for the sheriff to override the judge`s ruling and let her out in three days. And, Brooke this is what is so bad about this, he didn`t just let her out. Because usually if you get out of jail after you serve your time, time served, you`re done. He let her out for medical reasons. What medical reason has developed three days after you were in a ball gown?
ANDERSON: I know. Lisa, weigh in on this.
BLOOM: Well, you know it could be hang nail, could be her false eyelashes were starting to peel off. The hair was starting to frizz up. Look at any number of things could have happened to this poor girl.
But, look, I actually do feel compassion for anybody who is in a crisis. The problem with Paris Hilton is she doesn`t get that she created this crisis. And she could have had a crying person on the other side, namely a victim`s family member if she had run over somebody drunk driving. We take drunk driving seriously. It applies to everyone. She should turn inward and use this as a growth experience. The question is, does she have it within herself to do that?
It could have been much, much worse, you`re right. Defense Attorney Rachel Kugel, you specialize in DUI cases, what do you say?
KUGEL: Look, it definitely could have been worse, no question. Again, what we have to remember here is, I mean, yeah, if she had killed somebody in a DUI, that would be horrible. That`s not what happened here. It was a .08.
ANDERSON: But she did put other lives at risk.
KUGEL: But that`s not why she`s in jail. She`s in jail because of driving on a suspended license. It is important we keep that in mind. She`s not in jail on the DWI. In fact, ultimately the DWI was pled down to what is called a "wet reckless" in California. She actually is not convicted of DWI. It is just important to realize that.
ANDERSON: But that`s where the whole thing began. And I will say, you know, her lawyers are saying they are going to appeal this decision.
Howard Bragman, Fifteen Minutes PR, wouldn`t the best thing be, for Paris right now, to just shut up, put up and do what she said she would do from the beginning, Howard, and that is to do her time the right way?
BRAGMAN: As I tell all my clients that have to contend with the court system, there is two parts, Brooke. You have to deal with the court of law, and you have to deal with the court of public opinion. As I said to her, all along, I hope she takes this as a moment to stop and learn and stop going on the hamster wheel 80 miles an hour and really evaluate where she`s going and realize public opinion is not with her now. And she needs this catharsis, or as I like to call it, a time-out, maybe she`ll understand that. I think a time-out is good for her right now. And I hope she really uses it to change and learn a little.
ANDERSON: Yeah, be reflective. Professor Marc Lamont Hill, Temple University, I think I heard you sighing a minute ago. What do you think? What is wrong?
HILL: Some of you guys are so rough. You`re so rough on my girl. You`re rough on my girl. I turn to the blogs and I go on the Internet and I watch television and everybody is so happy. Americans -- I`m so surprised and disturbed by how happy America is to watch someone else in misery.
Don`t get me wrong, Paris has issues. Paris needs help.
ANDERSON: I think it is the issue of special treatment. I don`t think anyone is happy when somebody else is miserable, Marc.
HILL: I can`t tell. The moment Paris got sentenced to 45 days, there were blogs devoted to celebrating this thing happening. Before she got any special treatment, just a sentence itself -- which was excessive, you know, based on what most people get -- she still received enormous attention from people.
LAKE: But Marc, and Rachel, everybody keeps saying excessive. You know when you`re a defense attorney and stand next to your client and you need to argue why my client needed to drive today. You guys know good and well when we`re arguing, if you say they were drive on a suspended license, they had to get to work, they had kids, they had this. What argument was the defense attorney going to make on her behalf to keep her out of jail? Why did that girl need to drive?
KUGEL: I`m not defending her conduct.
HILL: Me either.
KUGUL: I wouldn`t defend her conduct in any way. But, you know, honestly, she was given special treatment -- in a negative way.
LAKE: And she only got 23 days!
KUGEL: And if you really wanted to punish her, and really give her a good punishment, they should have let her out after three days so this wouldn`t be a big deal, she`d have no street cred, she wouldn`t have a book, wouldn`t have an interview with Barbara Walters.
(CROSS TALK)
LAUGHTER)
KUGEL: I mean we have basically played into it and now she`ll be a bigger celebrity than ever.
HILL: She`s a martyr now.
ANDERSON: Lauren, you bring up a good point. It had been cut to 23 days for good behavior. What do you think? Do you think she will serve her full 45-day sentence or will it get cut by the sheriff again?
LAKE: I think it will get cut. Because, Brooke, the bottom line is of 23 days she would have never done 23. You know when you`re -- your client goes into jail, maybe a third of that time. If Paris would have stayed in that jail, Brooke, for seven, 10, 11 days, and the sheriff let her go, we would not be talking about this. But three days, based upon a medical condition that we all know just doesn`t exist --
HILL: Hey, you never know?
LAKE: This say mockery of the court. As a defense attorney, we come on these shows and we try to argue for people that have really made mistakes and really deserve another chance. And then we get young girls like this that get out in three days, come on, man. Say you have to keep it real, this just doesn`t make any sense.
HILL: None of us are arguing that she should have got out in three days.
LAKE: She shouldn`t have.
HILL: But she shouldn`t have been there first place for 45 days. That`s my point.
LAKE: But that`s not true.
ANDERSON: It was cut, it was cut before she even went in, really.
LAKE: That`s right.
KUGEL: I don`t think it was cut. I think what the sheriff was saying was that`s realistically what she`s actually going to do of it, because of good time. By the way, he`s still able to take away time because of good time. I mean, he has to have that power in order to keep a track, or have some kind of control over his inmates.
ANDERSON: It is up to the sheriff now to see what happens.
Howard, I want to go back to you. In 20 seconds, when she comes out of jail, when that happens, what does she need to do?
BRAGMAN: I think it depends when she comes out of jail, how long she`s served. But I think everybody would like to see a new Paris. We`re talking about the Internet and all the blogs and everything. There was a free Paris petition, 300 million people in this country, 87 signatures last I saw. There is not a wealth of support and I think she has to recognize this. And say, where I do go from here?
ANDERSON: Yeah, and be realistic.
BRAGMAN: Be a grown-up. Be a grown-up. Let`s stand for something.
ANDERSON: Maybe she`ll mature through this. Like Lauren said, maybe take a deep breath, do many some push-ups in there, while in there. Feel a little bit better. Howard Bragman, Lauren Lake, Lisa Bloom, Rachel Kugel, Marc Lamont Hill, thank you, all.
If you`re like me, you love to know what some of the secrets are to making a Hollywood marriage work. We can never know enough, right? I absolutely loved what "King of Queens" star Leah Remini told us, and that`s coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Now, "Making It Work" SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of stars who make their relationships work in Hollywood, and beyond. Tonight, "King Of Queens" star Leah Remini. Leah is also really good friends with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Leah is a Scientologist, just like Tom. Leah set the record straight for us on TomKat`s marriage, which the tabloids claim is in trouble.
LEAH REMINI, ACTRESS: They`re a great couple. They`re great parents. And, you know, I just think it is something I don`t really waste time on, nor do they, nor should they. They have a beautiful family. I read things and I go, oh, God bless`em. They have their family around them, they have their sister, there`s mom, you know, I love that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Leah is also in love. She`s been married for about four years to her husband, Angelo. We asked Leah her secret to a happy marriage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REMINI: The thing you have to remember with men is they just need to eat and have sex. And if you just do those things, you`ll be OK. You know, give them sex once in a while, when they`re cranky, you know that`s the time to give it up for a minute, you know? Or two.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Leah definitely knows how to "Make It Work". We appreciate her sharing that with us.
Now we want to share with you the results of last night`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. We asked, Paris Hilton out of jail, is that what you call justice? The response was overwhelming. Look at this, 4 percent of you say yes. And 96 percent of you say no. Here are some of the e-mails we received.
Joyce from Florida write: "This is disgusting! Now I know there are really two justice systems.one for us regular people and one for Hollywood!"
Evian from California thinks: "There must be a new amendment to the Constitution.allowing one to buy their way out of serving a sentence."
All right, thank you for your e-mails.
Time to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This weekend the worst celebrity excuses ever. Paris Hilton said "excuse me" after she was arrested on DUI charges. And what about Britney Spears driving with her baby in lap? The most ridiculous excuses ever, this weekend on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And coming up Monday, why Britney and Paris need to pay attention, because we are going to reveal how the good girls of Hollywood can teach a thing or two to the bad girls. Uh, Lindsay, are you listening too? Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You don`t want to miss that. Thanks for watching so much, tonight.
That`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Friday night. Have a good one. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. "Glenn Beck" is coming up next. Right after the latest headlines from CNN "Headline News". Take care.
END
