Heiress and reality TV star Paris Hilton will serve 45 days in a county jail for violating her probation on a drunken driving misdemeanor. Hilton was convicted of failing to enroll in an alcohol education program by a court-ordered deadline and of driving on a suspended license, prosecutors said.

Paris Hilton was arrested last September on suspicion of driving under the influence. She pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge in January and was placed on probation for 36 months and was ordered not to drive and to enroll in alcohol education classes within 21 days.

If you have been arrested for drunken driving (DUI) it is important to provide notice that you intend to contest DMV administrative sanctions that can deprive of your license for months, within 10 days of notification. Conviction of DUI can result in fines up to $2000, jail time, three years of probation and enrollment in alcohol education classes at your own cost.

If you have been arrested for DUI, contact an attorney immediately to protect your rights and limit your liability.

Mark Malachowski is a San Francisco attorney in who provides DUI defense.
 (415) 983-0717 or  www.marklawdui.com)  

An aggressive, effective defense is your best bet on protecting your rights.

A loose tie or a rumpled shirt may be cited as evidence that you are drunk. Even your attitude, whether you are friendly, scared, annoyed or nervous, will be used as evidence against you. Every word you say to the police will be paraphrased or twisted into a confession.  The prosecutor will use your falling into the trap of not properly following instructions, such as by using your arms to balance yourself, which is a  normal physiological response, to nail the lid shut on his case. Even looking for your license and registration will be used against you.

Blood alcohol test methods are flawed, and are subject to interferences and operator error. The instrument most often used, the breathalyzer, measures a methyl group rather than ethyl alcohol (ethanol) itself, and thus the reading could be a result of a different chemical altogether.  High blood alcohol levels may not be indicative of alcohol consumption. Experiments have shown that a zinc deficiency can double the amount of alcohol found in blood, thus calling into question whether blood alcohol is a reliable measure of consumption.   

Do not gamble on going to court without an attorney.