Conrad Hilton, youngest brother of socialite Paris Hilton and the son of hotel heir Rick Hilton, is breathing a little easier tonight after the proverbial hammer of justice struck him not with a resounding blow but with a slap on the wrist. According to Fox News , the 21 year-old was sentenced to probation, community service, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine at a court appearance on Tuesday, resolving charges stemming from an in-flight incident that occurred earlier this year. He was also ordered to undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment.
CNN covered Hilton’s charges in February, indicating that the incident occurred during a flight from London to Los Angeles. Hilton reportedly left his seat at least 20 times during the lengthy flight, becoming agitated with both the flight crew and the passengers. Court documents assert that Hilton threatened the to kill one flight attendant and referred to his fellow passengers as “peasants.” As the situation continued to escalate, Hilton reportedly directed insults and profanity at the people on the plane, threatening to fight crew members and throwing a punch that narrowly missed one attendant’s head. Crew members speculated that Hilton was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident. According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Conrad Hilton expressed confidence that his family connections would help him with any legal problems.
“My father will pay this out — he has done it before. Dad paid $300,000 last time,” Hilton said according to court documents.
Conrad Hilton was ultimately charged with Interference With Flight Crew Members and Attendants. He could have received up to 20 years in prison as the result of a conviction. As previously reported by Inquistr , Hilton pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assault in March.
Although Paris Hilton’s little brother got off relatively easy on his federal rap, he still faces some legal woes as the result of an unrelated case in California. According to CBS Los Angeles , Conrad was arrested last August on charges of felony charges of reckless driving and evading arrest after a high-speed police chase and car wreck. He faces up to three years in prison on those charges.
While it’s entirely possible that Hilton could get off easy in his remaining court case, the circumstances surrounding both of his recent arrests suggest the kind of trend that only gets worse without serious intervention. Moreover, if he’s relying on carrying the day time and again based solely on his socioeconomic status, Conrad Hilton would do well to consult a bit of history and literature for guidance. Whether one reviews the hard lessons of the French Revolution or the fictional exploits of the Gulliver’s Lilliputians, the lesson is clear: the peasants and little people eventually get their due.
[Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images]