Paris Hilton begins jail term a day early

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - From the camera flashes on the red carpet of a Hollywood awards show to the walls of a jail cell -- what a difference a day makes when you're Paris Hilton.

The 26-year-old heiress, a symbol of privilege and American celebrity culture, was booked into a Los Angeles County jail early on Monday, a day ahead of her court-ordered deadline, to begin serving a three-week sentence for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

She surrendered to authorities in downtown Los Angeles hours after making a surprise appearance at the MTV Movie Awards, and was transferred to the Century Regional Detention Facility in nearby Lynwood, the county sheriff's department said.

Once there, she was fingerprinted, photographed and issued an ID wristband, orange-colored jail clothing and toiletries, said sheriff's department Sgt. Diane Hecht in a statement.

Hecht said the booking for Hilton, whose great-grandfather Conrad Hilton started the global Hilton Hotel empire, was completed by about 1 a.m. PDT (4 a.m. EDT/0800 GMT) on Monday.

Her booking photo showed her dressed in a white V-neck top, wearing eye makeup and lip gloss with a slight smile, her blond hair swept to one side over her right shoulder.

Sheriff's department spokesman Steve Whitmore described her as "cooperative," "calm" and "focused" during booking.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY