Saturday, June 2, 2007

Countdown on for Paris Hilton


Story Highlights

• Paris Hilton to report to jail by June 5

• Hilton will be in "special needs" unit of county jail

• "She will do her full sentence," says spokesman

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Paris Hilton's mandatory makeover -- from designer duds to jail-issued jumpsuits -- is fast approaching.
The 26-year-old heiress has until 11:59 p.m. on June 5 to report to the Century Regional Detention Facility to start serving time for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.
A judge sentenced Hilton to 45 days behind bars, but Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said "she will do about 23 days," regardless of when she reports. She may choose to report early, or at an odd hour, to try to avoid media attention.
"It's the state law," he said, explaining the "good time/work time" requirement in which "you get days off for every day that you serve."
He said there's no chance Hilton will be released early due to overcrowding, as actress Michelle Rodriguez was in May 2006, when she served less than one day of a 60-day sentence at the same county jail.
"The situation in the jail will not determine (Hilton's) release," Whitmore said. "She has been given a full sentence. She will do her full sentence." (Watch Hilton show her darker side )
The 13-year-old Lynwood jail, located five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, has been an all-female facility since March 2006. The two-story concrete building sits in an industrial neighborhood, beside train tracks and beneath a bustling freeway.
Hilton will be housed in the facility's "special needs" unit, where she "very well may not" have a roommate, Whitmore said.
Like other inmates in the special-needs area, she will take her meals in her cell and will be allowed outside the 12-foot-by-8-foot space for at least an hour each day to shower, watch TV in the day room, participate in outdoor recreation or talk on the telephone. She will have to use a public pay phone -- cell phones and BlackBerrys aren't allowed.
Standards
Hilton must come empty-handed to the jail, Whitmore said. Once she's booked into custody, she'll have to surrender her clothing and jewelry in exchange for the requisite orange jumpsuit.
She will also get the same standard-issue kit all incoming inmates at the 2,200-bed facility receive: a toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, soap, a comb, deodorant, shampoo and shaving implements, along with a jail-issued pencil, stationery, envelopes and stamps.
If Hilton wants to prettify herself in her cell's polished-metal mirror, she can buy a compact, eye shadow, an eyebrow pencil and package of hair coloring from the jail commissary, where she can draw from a prepaid account.
Inmates are also allowed to have up to three books and magazines each week and a maximum of five photographs -- no larger than 4-by-6 inches.
No special arrangements have been made to accommodate the heiress, Whitmore said.
"The sheriff treats all inmates alike," he said.
But Nicole Richie, Hilton's on-again friend and reality-show co-star, had a different opinion when she spoke to Ryan Seacrest on his morning radio show Wednesday.
"The way that Paris' whole entire case was dealt with was, A, out of her control but B, really unfair," Richie said. "Sometimes people just get exploited so I can only hope that doesn't happen to me."
Richie was charged with driving under the influence and pleaded not guilty in February, and is awaiting the resolution of that case. She was previously convicted of DUI in June 2003.
Besides starring in "The Simple Life," Hilton is an aspiring pop singer who released her debut CD in August. She also has a namesake perfume and handbag collection.
Her spokesman, Elliot Mintz, had no comment Thursday.

Rice: U.S., Spain allies with differences


MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The United States and Spain share concerns on many fronts, but Spain is going its own way in its relations with Cuba, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says.
The two countries have recovered from the rift over Spain's withdrawal of its troops from Iraq, she said, but Spain's communications with the Cuban government remain a sore spot.
Rice said the United States had problems with the way Spain withdrew from Iraq, not the fact that it took its troops out.
"We can say that the relations are normalized after the ups and downs you all know about," said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who appeared at a Madrid news conference with Rice.
Both the United States and Spain would like democracy in Cuba, which Moratinos visited in April. His aides visited Havana earlier this week.
Referring to the fact that Moratinos did not meet with dissidents in Cuba, Rice said she was concerned "that they get the right message, which is that the free world stands with them and is not prepared to tolerate an anti-democratic transition in Cuba."
"This Socialist government has no problem in talking to the dissidents," responded Moratinos. "I would ask you, 'Who has seen more of the dissidents?' "
Spain has diplomatic ties with Cuba; the United States doesn't.
"I expect that the issue on Cuba is going to continue to be an issue between us," Rice said on her first visit to Spain as secretary of state.
"I have real doubts about the value of engagement with a regime that is anti-democratic, and that appears to me to be trying to arrange a transition from one anti-democratic regime to another anti-democratic regime," she said.
Alarcon: Castro is 'practically ... fully recovered'
Fidel Castro relinquished his presidential powers last July to his brother, Raul, after undergoing intestinal surgery, calling the move temporary. His brother continues in that role.
The president of the Cuban National Assembly on Friday told CNN that Castro is "practically ... fully recovered," although his rehabilitation continues.
"The worst moments are behind him at this moment," Ricardo Alarcon said on CNN's "The Situation Room."
Alarcon said under Raul Castro's leadership "everything went down here very smoothly, as it was supposed to be according to our law and constitution."
In response to Rice's call for a democratic transition, Alarcon said, "I wish that some day there will be a democratic transition in the United States, that there will be a regime change in your country, a change from war to peace, a change from arrogance, and for this kind of interfering in everybody's affairs, and looking back a little bit at home and ... facing the real problems that Americans have."
Rice: Venezuela should respect sovereignty of its neighbors
Rice also addressed what she considers an increasingly anti-democracy attitude in Venezuela.
"There has been active interference by Venezuela in the affairs of its neighbors and so the issue there that Venezuela should respect the sovereignty of its neighbors and Venezuela should act in a democratic way toward its own people," Rice said.
Relations between Washington and Madrid have been frosty since Jose Zapatero ousted Bush ally Jose Asnar and the newly elected prime minister hastily withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq in 2004.
Things got so bad that Bush refused to take a congratulatory phone call from Zapatero after winning re-election.
However, Rice said that is now history.
"I want to underscore the degree to which the cooperation between Spain and the United States in counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and in military relations is very strong," she said.
Speaking of the nuclear standoff between Iran and the United States, Rice said, "I will tell you what will help to get us to the place that we don't face an unpalatable choice between having to do something on the military side or allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
"That means to suspend their activities on enrichment and reprocessing. That means to enter negotiations on a package of incentives and a civil nuclear program that would be compliant with the international community's demands.
"But we aren't going to get to that favorable diplomatic outcome if we muddy the message toward the Iranians."