Nicole Richie charged with misdemeanor DUI

Complaint alleges she was also under the influence of an unspecified drug

Diane Bondareff / AP

Nicole Richie is charged with misdemeanor DUI after driving the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank, Calif.

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updated 4:05 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Nicole Richie was charged Friday with misdemeanor driving under the influence.

In addition to the single count, the case contains an allegation that Richie has a prior conviction, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said.

The complaint alleges “The Simple Life” star was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and an unspecified drug when she was arrested Dec. 11, said prosecution spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.

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Arraignment was scheduled for Feb. 21 in suburban Glendale Superior Court.

Richie, 25, was arrested after her car was reported headed the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank about 12:30 a.m.

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Richie failed a field sobriety test the night of her arrest, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP Officer Todd Workman said at the time that Richie, the daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie, volunteered information that she had smoked marijuana and taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin, but no drugs were found on her or in the car.

Richie starred with Paris Hilton in the reality show “The Simple Life.”