Jul 2, 2007 6:59 pm US/Pacific
MADD Less-Than-Excited To Work With Ms. Hilton
Charity Group Questions Heiress' Message
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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According to experts, Hilton must have consumed more than one drink to get a blood-alcohol level of .08 -- the state minimum for a drunken driving charge.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving gave Paris Hilton a less-than-enthusiastic response to her expressed desire to work on behalf of their group.
"We have reservations about her behavior thus far," MADD spokeswoman Misty Moyse said. "Typically, we've only worked with high-profile figures if there's true responsibility for those actions."
MADD's "primary concern" about Hilton is "the kind of messages being sent to the public and young girls nationwide about the seriousness of drunk driving and drinking by those under 21," the bulk of Hilton's fan base, Moyse said.
Hilton said on "Larry King Live" last Wednesday that she wanted to work with MADD. She also repeated her desire to help female inmates, breast cancer victims and people with multiple sclerosis.
Moyse said that she had not heard of any contact between MADD and Hilton's representatives.
"We haven't heard from them. We haven't reached out to them," Moyse said. "Typically, we wait until the case is closed. There's just a lot of parameters we have to look at at our end, regarding the person taking responsibility and other things."
Hilton's publicist, Elliot Mintz, has not made a comment.
Hilton served 23 days in jail for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case by driving on a suspended license. She repeatedly cited a miscommunication with her lawyer for driving on the suspended license.
When asked by King if she got "a raw deal," Hilton said she did, later saying "the crime did not fit the ... punishment."
"I don't feel like I deserved to go to jail for it," Hilton said.
Hilton also told Larry King that she would not drink and drive again, though she claims to have only had one drink before her arrest.
According to experts, Hilton must have consumed more than one drink to get a blood-alcohol level of .08 -- the state minimum for a drunken driving charge.
On June 7, MADD issued a statement that called for alcohol ignition interlock systems to be placed on her vehicles.
The system would require the driver to blow into a small handheld alcohol sensor unit attached to a vehicle's dashboard. The car cannot start if the blood alcohol level is above a preset level -- usually .02 to .04
A variation in California law has kept that from happening, Moyse said.
"We do believe she should still be on an interlock given the driving on a suspended license more than once," Moyse said.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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