Paris Hilton's Not-So-Simple Legal Ride

June 8, 2007 — -- The road that ultimately led to Paris Hilton's house arrest is a convoluted and confusing one -- and it might actually lead her back to jail.

Let ABC News walk you through a series of facts and legal maneuvering that took a celebrity heiress from a drunken ride in the front seat of her Mercedes-Benz to the back seat of a cruiser and a jail cell.

On Sept. 7, 2006 police arrested celebrity socialite Paris Hilton in Hollywood on suspicion of driving under the influence after she was spotted "driving erratically" while out to pick up a late-night burger.

Hilton was charged Sept. 26 with misdemeanor driving under the influence and on Jan. 9, 2007, her lawyers entered not guilty pleas on her behalf to a single count each of driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or above.

Less than a week later, Hilton was pulled over again, this time by the California Highway Patrol. She was informed that her license was suspended in connection with the September DUI charge and she'd signed a document acknowledging she was not supposed to drive.

Hilton pleaded no contest Jan. 22 to a reduced charge of alcohol-related reckless driving. The pleas earned her three years ofprobation and a $1,500 fine. Hilton also was required by the courts to enroll in an alcohol education program.

A month later, Feb. 27, Hilton — still with a suspended license — was stopped by Los Angeles sheriff's deputies for driving "a new Bentley" at 70 mph in a 35 mph zone "in darkness without her headlights on." In her glove compartment was the document she'd signed Jan. 15, acknowledging she was not allowed to drive while her license was suspended.

Not amused, the Los Angeles city attorney's office said March 29 that it would ask a judge to revoke the three-year probation sentence Hilton had received as a result of her January plea agreement.

On May 3 city prosecutors recommended that Hilton serve 45 days in jail for violating the conditions of her probation. They cited three terms of her probation that she'd violated: First, she failed to enroll in the alcohol education course within 21 days of her sentencing; Second, she had several traffic violations stemming from the Feb. 27 incident; and third, prosecutors argued that Hilton failed to "obey all laws and orders of the court."