Nicole Richie Sentenced

By: Shannon Gossage

Richie appeared in court Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. with boyfriend, Joel Madden, on her arm. She pleaded guilty to the DUI charge and was sentenced to spend four days in jail, fined $2,048, and was ordered to take an alcohol education course stemming from her December arrest. The judge reportedly credited Richie with six hours of time served. Richie was convicted of a DUI in June 2003 and according to California law "repeat offenders" get a minimum sentence of three-months in jail. This sentence is reduced to four days if the person agrees to a three-year probation.

Richie was arrested on December 11 after police were contacted that she was driving her SUV the wrong way on 134 Highway in California. When police made it to the scene Richie’s car was stopped facing the wrong way in a carpool lane and Richie was talking on her cell phone. She failed the field sobriety test and admitted to the officers that she had smoked marijuana and taken Vicodin before getting behind the wheel.

Richie told David Letterman she was "scared to go to jail" when she appeared on his Late Show last month. She also said, "I’m willing to face whatever consequences come my way, and I take responsibility for what I’ve done." Richie was not given a surrender date, but must complete her four-day stint in jail by September 28. She was also given the choice of serving her time in a paid city jail or a county jail.