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Nicole Richie has reportedly told Paris Hilton that she is terrified of going to prison for driving under the influence (DUI).

The new BFFs, who recently made up after not talking for two years, were spotted in LA restaurant Mr Chow’s. Paris was apparently comforting her distraught pal.

A source told Life and Style Weekly magazine: "She was really freaking out. Paris kept telling Nicole not to worry, that everything was going to be fine."

Nicole was arrested on December 11, after leaving boyfriend (Good Charlotte front man) Joel Madden’s home, for driving the wrong way down a Californian motorway. Nicole, 25, confessed to officers she had taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin and had smoked marijuana.

As Nicole has previous offences - she has a previous DUI charge from 2002 and California law states that a repeat offence carries the mandatory jail sentence of five days – Nicole is said to be extremely anxious.

If convicted, not only would Nicole have her driving license suspended for one year, she would also be ordered to attend an alcohol education program for a year-and-a-half, even if the second conviction is not alcohol-related.

Paris Hilton recently negotiated a plea for a DUI offence. The 25-year-old pleaded not guilty to DUI, instead pleading no contest to a lesser charge of reckless driving and was placed on probation. It is believed her lawyer Howard Weitzman will be representing Nicole in the case.
[Via entertainmentwise.com]