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Paris Hilton Plea Agreement: Admits Cocaine Was Hers

By Tanya Roth, Esq. on September 21, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ... and more on that urban myth in a moment. What is not currently staying in Vegas is news that Paris Hilton has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of drug possession and received a sentence of one year on probation. The sentence was the result of a plea agreement on the charges of felony cocaine possession that Paris was arrested for at the end of August.

If you recall, our favorite blond celebutante allegedly tried to explain away the cocaine that dropped out of her purse during a traffic stop by Vegas police by saying the purse wasn't hers. Sadly, the heiress's own twitter-fingers did that defense in, as she had TwitPic'ed a picture of the new Chanel bag just weeks before, burbling, "Love my new Chanel purse I got today."

According to CNN, presiding Judge Joe Bonaventure seemed eager to prove he was no Marsha Revel, telling Paris, "You have to understand when you break the law here, there are consequences." According to the judge, any legal charge more serious than a traffic ticket would violate the terms of probation. "The Clark County Detention Center is not the Waldorf Astoria," Bonaventure said to Ms. Hilton. At least he didn't say Hilton.

Other terms of Hilton's probation include a substance abuse program, a $2,000 fine and 200 hours of community service.

Here is where we come to the "stays in Vegas" portion of our post, but in reverse. CNN reports Judge Bonaventure says that a plea agreement allowing a defendant to agree to a lesser charge in exchange for a guilty plea, is common for those with no criminal record. The judge evidently meant no criminal record in Vegas, (or the rest of Nevada) for Paris certainly has a record back in sunny California.

From now on, Paris will have to watch her step in Nevada. And California. And South Africa. And Corsica. May we suggest a shopping trip to a new jurisdiction?

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