LOS ANGELES - A sobbing Paris Hilton was ordered back to jail Friday a day after her release under house arrest spread outrage over alleged judicial favoritism for the wealthy, court officials said.
The celebrity socialite, who spent barely over 72 hours behind bars on a 45 day sentence for driving without a permit, was taken back to jail by Los Angeles authorities after the judge who originally sentenced her objected to the release -- which had been justified by unspecified "medical reasons."
Hilton was sobbing as the judge ordered her back to jail to serve out her sentence, CNN reported.
Earlier Los Angeles sheriff's deputies arrived at Hilton's West Hollywood mansion where they handcuffed her and hauled her back to court in the back of a police cruiser in tears amid a media frenzy.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer called her back to court as prosecutors pointed out that he had specifically ordered "no electronic monitoring" for Hilton when he sentenced her to jail on May 4.
According to reports, she was ordered to serve out the remainder of her sentence, which allows that she could be released for good behavior after 23 days.
Hilton, the multi-millionaire hotels heiress and star of the TV reality show "The Simple Life," was sent home to her luxury Hollywood house near Sunset Boulevard early Thursday after entering prison to start her 45-day sentence late Sunday.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, citing unspecified "medical reasons," had released her early Thursday to house arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet on her ankle.
But her release stunned prosecutors, who quickly filed a motion seeking to haul Hilton back behind bars to complete her sentence for violating probation by driving on a suspended license.
In court filings, prosecutors -- who said they learned about Hilton's release through the media -- accused the Sheriff's Department of violating the court order and called for it to explain why it should not be held in contempt.
"The decision whether or not Ms Hilton should be released early and placed on electronic monitoring should be made by judge Sauer, and not the Sheriff's Department," said Jeffrey Isaacs, chief of the City Attorney's Criminal Branch.
Hilton had reported to the Century Regional Detention Center late Sunday to serve her sentence shortly after a red-carpet appearance at the MTV Movie Awards.
Her early release triggered a wave of criticism from civil liberties groups denouncing the move as proof of double standards in the US justice system.
Black civil rights leader Al Sharpton said: "This early release gives all of the appearances of economic and racial favoritism that is constantly cited by poor people and people of color."
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Sheriff Lee Baca defended his department's decision to release Hilton.
"My message to those who don't like celebrities is that punishing celebrities more than the average American is not justice," Baca was quoted as saying.
"The problem here is that there is a medical issue and it isn't wise to keep a person in jail with her problem over an extended period of time and let the problem get worse," Baca said, refusing to describe the medical problem.
But City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said that Los Angeles jails were well-equipped to deal with the medical needs of inmates and the decision to release her was "puzzling."
"If law enforcement officials are to enjoy the respect of those we are charged with protecting, we cannot tolerate a two-tiered jail system where the rich and powerful receive special treatment," Delgadillo said.
The saga surrounding Hilton has sparked a media frenzy around one of the world's most photographed women, who is a A-list guest on the Hollywood party circuit.
She is mainly well-known for being rich and famous, and shot to international fame thanks largely to a sex tape of her and an-ex boyfriend which appeared on the Internet.
She has also released a music album and appeared in films such as "House of Wax," "Pledge This," and the forthcoming "The Hottie and the Nottie."

06/08/2007 19:37 GMT