Nicole Richie Pleads Not Guilty To Driving Under The Influence.... Nicole Richie pleaded not guilty yesterday (20Feb07) to a misdemeanour drink-driving charge stemming from her December (06) arrest in Los Angeles.Richie's lawyer, Shawn Chapman, entered the plea on the star's behalf, who did not appear in court.Because of a prior Driving Under the Influence (Dui) conviction in 2003, by California law she faces mandatory jail time of 90 days and up to one year in prison if convicted of a second Dui.The 25-year-old was spotted driving the wrong way down a Los Angeles freeway on 11 December (06).Authorities found her stopped in a carpool lane and she subsequently failed a field sobriety test.According to police, Richie admitted to officers at the time she had smoked marijuana and taken the painkiller Vicodin.She was booked and released the next morning after posting $15,000 bail.A pretrial hearing has been set for 2 April (07).

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