Hotel heiress Paris Hilton was freed this morning after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drink-driving case.
The imprisonment of the multimillionaire (26) ignited a media frenzy and debate about celebrity justice.
Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility
She was released after 22 days in detention, including a day she spent under house arrest. The original 45-day sentence set by the judge was effectively cut in half under a standard credit applied for good behaviour.
Hilton was released from jail about 8.15am and walked alone down a walkway lined with photographers and camera operators. She made no statement was smiled broadly before joining her parents in their sports utility vehicle.
Hilton's stint behind bars, which a Los Angeles Timesanalysis found far exceeded the sentence served by most county inmates for similar offences, stemmed from her arrest last September on a charge of drunk driving.
After Hilton had served just three days behind bars, the county sheriff had released her to house arrest, citing unspecified medical problems later described as psychological.
Hilton, who has since said she suffers from claustrophobia, was returned to prison, however.
Agencies