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Friday, 24 August 2007

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Nicole Richie spends less than two hours in jail

Simple Life star escapes time behind bars

Nicole Richie served 82 minutes of a four-day sentence for DUI on Thursday due to jail overcrowding, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Accompanied by her lawyer and boyfriend Joel Madden, the five-months pregnant Richie entered the jail in Lynwood, Calif., at 3:15 p.m. for booking, listed at 5'1" and 105 lbs. She was processed into the system and released at 4:37 p.m., a sheriff's statement said.

"Miss Richie was cooperative during the process," the statement said.

The statement said she was released "based on her sentence and federal court guidelines." Under the current sheriff's policy, non-violent female offenders sentenced to 30 days or less are booked and released within 12 hours.

Richie was "treated in the same manner as other inmates with a similar sentence," the statement said.

Richie, 25, who's pregnant by Madden, pleaded guilty to DUI on July 27. As part of her sentence, she also agreed to serve a three-year probation term, must enroll in an alcohol education program and was fined $2,048.

She was arrested for DUI on Dec. 11 after being spotted driving her black Mercedes SUV the wrong way on an L.A. freeway. She was previously convicted of DUI in June 2003.

Richie told Diane Sawyer in an interview earlier this month that going to jail was "my way of paying my dues and taking responsibility and being an adult."

By Ken Lee and Mike Fleeman