DUI

Nicole Richie could be adding stripes to her wardrobe in the very near future.

TMZ has found court documents which reveal that Richie pled no contest four years ago to driving under the influence. Under California law, if Richie is convicted of DUI as a result of Monday's arrest, the judge must impose a jail sentence.

The law requires a mandatory sentence of five consecutive days in county jail as well as a one year license suspension for anyone twice-convicted of DUI. In addition, Richie would be ordered to attend an alcohol education program for a year-and-a-half, even if the second conviction is not alcohol-related.

As TMZ first reported, Richie admitted to CHP officers that she had taken Vicodin and smoked pot before driving the wrong way on a Burbank freeway. A field sobriety test revealed she was not under the influence of alcohol.

Cop: "What have you eaten today?"
Nicole: "French Fries"

TMZ has obtained the police documents in the 2002 case. In the arrest report it reveals that Richie told cops all she had eaten that day were french fries. As for what she drank that day -- "1 shot vodka."

She blew a .12. and a .13 in two separate tests. In California, .08 is considered legally intoxicated. Richie was stopped in her Toyota Corolla after a UCLA police officer observed her blowing a red light and driving over a speed bump at more than 50 miles an hour in an area with a 15 mph speed limit. Richie flunked the field sobriety test -- her eyes were watery and bloodshot, and she could not keep her balance.

Richie was given three years probation for her 2002 DUI conviction and had her license suspended for one year. Six months later, Richie was arrested for possession of heroin and for driving with a suspended license.

A 17-year-old boy has already died in an SUV driven by a celebrity. Someone else is going to die, and it will happen sooner rather than later.

Nicole Richie's loved ones could easily have been planning her funeral today -- likewise the loved ones of the people driving the right way on the 134 Freeway early Monday morning.

Lane Garrison must be scratching his head today. Why, he must be asking, did he have such bad luck? The fact is, the differentiating factor that makes Garrison a killer and Richie a DUI'er is luck. That's it.

I'm not trying to preach, and I will readily admit that TMZ has prospered off the antics of a group of young celebrities. When Brandon Davis went on his "firecrotch" rant against Lindsay, it was endlessly entertaining. When Paris got in fender-benders, it was so TMZ. And when Britney spread her legs for all the world to see, well it was Internet gold.

But the line has been crossed. The dark side of Hollywood has been revealed in the last month. And really, it's no surprise. There are a lot of young celebs who got really rich and very famous way too soon. The people who surround them are not used to saying "no." These celebs have gotten away with a lot -- mostly small stuff -- for a long time. And each time you get away with something you shouldn't, you get bolder the next time.

These celebs, for the most part, have no compass to guide them. Look at Lindsay Lohan. Her dad used the revolving door at his local jail while her mom was at war with him when she wasn't out partying. Lohan really didn't stand a chance, and it's sad.

While Britney Spears may be partying and undressing like Paris Hilton, the question is: Will she be following in her alcohol-soaked, law-breaking footsteps?

On the heels of DUIs by Hilton and Nicole Richie, wagerweb.com has released their picks for which member of the A-list party crowd is most likely to wind up busted behind the wheel. These stars can run but they can not Hyde.

Not surprisingly, Britney tops the list with a 1 to 2 chance that she'll be arrested and charged with a DUI. Paris, who was busted early this year, could be a repeat offender and so she lands the #2 spot. Good-time train wreck Tara Reid may be trying to clean up her image, but it's not enough to keep her from sloshing into the #3 spot on the list. Keeping her out of clubs might keep her out of jail.

Despite her wreck-a-week driving skills and AA membership, Lindsay Lohan hiccups into #4. Wait until she's of age! Rounding out the top 5: Limoncello aficionado, Danny DeVito.

Rosie said that the pin-thin Richie was about the same size as her 9-year-old, and Barbara lamented that Nicole felt compelled to downsize herself from the miniscule 100 pounds listed on her driver's license, to the skeletal 85 pounds that authorites listed as her weight on arrest.

ABC Television has offices near the exit ramp which Richie used to enter the freeway going the wrong way. ABC security guards noticed the commotion on their monitors and trained their security camera in that direction.

The pictures show Richie talking to CHP officers. We're told she admitted that she had taken Vicodin and smoked pot.

Richie was arrested on suspicion of DUI early Monday morning after admitting to CHP deputies that she had taken Vicodin and smoked marijuana.

TMZ has learned that Nicole Richie was arrested for DUI early Monday morning. She was booked at 4:50 AM today and was released around 7:15 this morning. The booking sheet reveals Richie is 5'1" and 85 lbs.

We're told two motorists spotted her SUV going the wrong way on the 134 Freeway in Burbank. The drivers called 911.

When the CHP responded, Richie was stopped in the carpool lane and was alone in the vehicle. When cops approached the vehicle, Richie was on her cellphone.

Law enforcement officers tell TMZ Nicole Richie admitted she had taken Vicodin and smoked pot.

A preliminary alcohol screening device revealed that Nicole was not under the influence of alcohol.

One law enforcement source tell TMZ that while Richie was at the jail she was "very cooperative and very humble."

This is not the first brush Richie has had with substance abuse. In 2003, she pled guilty to heroin possession. The charges were dismissed after she completed the terms of her probation.

A rep for Richie had no comment.

TMZ has learned that "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan was busted for drunk driving early this morning in New York.

Police sources tell TMZ the comedian/actor was stopped at 4:38 AM in Manhattan after cops noticed he was driving erratically. According to the police report, Morgan "was unable to maintain a position in a lane of traffic."

Edison Alban, spokesperson for the Manhattan D.A.'s office, tells TMZ that Morgan told cops he was drinking beer at a club before he was pulled over.

Morgan was taken to the 33rd Precinct and charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Operating a Motor Vehicle While Impaired.

This is Morgan's second drunk driving arrest. He's currently on probation in Los Angeles for a D.U.I. conviction. The latest arrest could constitute a violation of Morgan's probation and, as a result, he could face jail time in both L.A. and New York.

98° Singer Jeff Timmons has escaped being convicted of DUI charges stemming from a traffic stop in Cocoa Beach, Florida earlier this year. His attorneys entered a plea of no contest to the amended charge of reckless driving, thus avoiding the need for a trial.

His attorney, Michael T. Donnelly stated, "In light of the facts, we consider the negotiated plea of reckless driving to be a fair resolution in this case."

Timmons, who gained national exposure as a founding member of the hit band 98°, is currently on work on a new solo record.

The entire celebrity landcape was both shaken' and stirred when cops busted Paris Hilton for DUI in Hollywood early Thursday morning. Paris' sister Nicky and her boyfriend Kevin Connolly of "Entourage" fame swiftly arrived at the police station along with über-publicist Elliot Mintz to spring the embattled heiress from pokey.

Fresh out of police custody, Hilton's publicist explained Paris' side of the story, including her now infamous "one margarita defense." What do you believe?

If we've learned anything in the past few weeks it's that no one should drink and drive.

So what's a party boy (or girl) to do? A company based in Hong Kong just might have the product that could ease your DUI worries. The "Alcowatch" wrist watch has a breathalyzer built-in, so you never have to worry about driving when you shouldn't. Just test yourself on the watch, and if you are over the legal limit, it's time to call a cab! Being safe (and punctual) has never been easier.

The watch's makers are currently seeking distribution in the United States and plan to retail them for $100.

Wow- that's a good deal. Peace of mind is only the cost of a dozen Red Bull and vodkas.

Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, just concluded (9:15AM PT) a press conference with reporters, answering questions about the Mel Gibson DUI controversy.

Whitmore, speaking outside the Sheriff's headquarters in Monterey Park, reiterated that there was no "sanitizing" of the police report and that no force was used in Gibson's arrest.

He went on to say that Gibson did not run away from law enforcement officers -- but as TMZ first revealed, the report and other evidence points to the contrary. According to the report TMZ obtained, "Gibson quickly turned and bolted towards his own vehicle." The report goes on to say that "Gibson attempted to escape arrest."

The hits just keep coming. In the wake of an alleged extortion scandal, the New York Post's Page Six now faces another legal mess. Police arrested the gossip column's editor Richard Johnson Thursday night for driving under the influence.

TMZ has obtained the video of former 98 Degrees member Jeff Timmons being arrested for DUI and driving without a license. The incident occurred on April 23 in Brevard County, Fla.

Related links

• Police report
• Expanded police file