Do You Believe This Petition
LOS ANGELES -- Free Paris!
That's the message in an online petition asking California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to pardon the hotel heiress from the 45-day jail term she received over a parole violation.
The petition said that Hilton "provides hope for young people all over the U.S. and the world" and "provides beauty and excitement" to people's mundane lives.
It compares a potential pardon for the 26-year-old socialite to President Gerald Ford's pardon of former President Richard Nixon.
By Tuesday morning, nearly 1,000 people had signed on to the petition.
A judge ordered Hilton on Friday to report to a county jail by June 5 for violating the terms of her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.
Meanwhile, lawyers for Paris Hilton said that they're getting ready to appeal her sentence.
Hilton's lawyers said that they've taken the first step by filing a notice of appeal with the court. The document is required before a formal appeal can be lodged. The appeal itself will be filed on Friday.
"I feel that I was treated unfairly and that the sentence is both cruel and unwarranted and I don't deserve this," Hilton told photographers assembled outside her home Saturday.
Previous Stories:
May 5, 2007: Paris To Be Isolated For Safety In Jail
May 4, 2007: Paris Hilton Sentenced To 45 Days In Jail