Nicole Richie Heads To Court To Face DUI Charge

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (July 27, 2007) -- Nicole Richie, on the arm of boyfriend Joel Madden, arrived at the courthouse Friday to deal with a DUI charge initially filed nearly eight months ago.

She made her way through dozens of photographers and entered the courthouse through the front door.

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Richie, 25, pleaded not guilty in February to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie was arrested early on Dec. 11 after witnesses reported seeing her black Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle headed the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank.

The California Highway Patrol said she was found parked in the car pool lane.

Richie told authorities she had smoked marijuana and taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin, a CHP officer said at the time.

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No drugs were found on her or in the car.

Richie also had a June 2003 DUI conviction that made her eligible for a sentence of 90 days to a year in jail, a fine of $390 to $1,000 and suspension of her license.

Richie's jail sentence follows that of Paris Hilton, her co-star on the reality TV show "The Simple Life."

Hilton recently was released after spending about 23 days in custody for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

Richie, who is rumored to be pregnant but has not confirmed it, did not appear in court during the 2003 case.