Nicole Richie's trial postponed

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June 20, 2007

Nicole Richie's trial postponed

Nicole Richie on Tuesday was granted a three-week postponement before she stands trial on DUI charges in Los Angeles, People reports.

But judge Steven Lubell, who set a new trial date of July 11, said he'd allow no further delays, Reuters reports. He had already postponed the original trial from June 25 at Richie's lawyers' request.

Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, told Reuters:

"She has two options: Either she goes to trial or she changes her 'not guilty' plea."

Richie, 25, was not present at the hearing Tuesday. Because of a prior DUI conviction in June 2003, by California law, she faces mandatory jail time (90 days to one year) if convicted of a second DUI within 10 years.

Earlier this month Richie told David Letterman she was "scared" of going to jail like pal Paris Hilton, now behind bars for violating probation after her own DUI arrest.

But Robison said Richie's case would not be affected by the media frenzy surrounding Hilton's jail term. "For us it's taken on a case-by-case basis," she told Reuters. "That's a different office, different jurisdiction. It has nothing to do with this case."

Richie pleaded not guilty in February to driving under the influence on Dec. 11. Officers had stopped her after she was spotted driving the wrong way on a Los Angeles highway, and police said she'd admitted to smoking marijuana and taking Vicodin.

Nicole Richie at Late Show with David Letterman.