Facts: On August 27, 2010, a motorcycle police officer pulled over a black Cadillac Escalade in front of the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas after smelling a “vapor trail” of marijuana come from the window while the car was stopped at a traffic light. Inside the car were Cy Waits, a nightclub manager at the Wynn, and Paris Hilton.  Waits, who was driving, failed a field sobriety test given by the officer. Because a crowd started to from
around the vehicle, Paris requested to inside the Wynn for privacy. 

Once inside she pulled out a tube of lip balm from her purse and a small bag of cocaine fell onto the floor in plain view of the police officer. Hilton claimed the bag was not hers and that the only belongings in the bag that were hers were rolling papers, $1,300 cash, and credit cards.

Rule: According to NRS § 453.011, 453.166, § 453.337, and § 191.130 (The Uniform
Controlled Substances Act), cocaine is a schedule II drug, possession of which runs a
penalty of 1-4 years in prison and fines up to $5,000.

Driving under the influence (DUI) is also a crime, according to Nevada DUI code § 484.379-
484.3947 which states that it is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of
alcohol, drugs, or intoxicants with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or greater. However,
even if a person’s blood alcohol is less than .08%, if that person fails any part of a field sobriety
test, that person can be charged with UDI.

Analysis: Applying these rules it is easy to see why Hilton and Waits were charged. Waits
failed his field sobriety test and Hilton later confessed that the cocaine in her possession
was in fact hers.

Opinion: The acceptance of a plea deal may seem like Hilton “got off” but in actuality, she
has to be very cautious of her future conduct for the next year. Any misstep (other than a
minor traffic violation) will land her in the slammer for an entire year, no future trial…just
lockup.

"The purpose of this, at this point, is that you change your conduct," the judge told Hilton. "If
you're not changing your conduct, the purpose then shifts simply to punishment. The punishment
here is to serve a one-year jail sentence."

She also has to complete a drug abuse program, pay $2,000 in fines, and serve 200 hours of
community service. Not only do Hilton and Waits face legal repercussions from their actions but they also face repercussions in their careers and social lives. Both are banned from entering the Wynn, Waits lost his job at the nightclub, and Hilton was banned from entering Japan (where she was going on business) because of her cocaine conviction.

A night of fun can be had without putting your lives and careers on the line – or the lives of innocent
bystanders. Please don’t think that because neither served jail time that they weren’t sentenced.
You don’t want to fall into their footsteps…