Nicole Richie Charged With Driving Under the Influence 2/17/07

Nicole Richie was charged with a misdemeanor for driving under the influence (DUI) by the Los Angeles district attorney Friday (16FEB07).

Richie was arrested on 11 December (06) after driving the wrong way on a Los Angeles highway.

Authorities found her stopped in a carpool lane and she subsequently failed a field sobriety test.

Because of a prior DUI conviction in 2003, according to California law, Richie faces mandatory jail time of 90 days and up to one year in prison if convicted of a second DUI.

According to police, The Simple Life star admitted to officers at the time that she had smoked marijuana and taken the painkiller Vicodin.

She was booked and released the next morning after posting $15,000 bail.

Richie will be arraigned in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Glendale, California on 21 February (07).