The sheriff who sprang Paris Hilton is no stranger to Hollywood. He has attended the Academy Awards and Golden Globes shows. He's golfed with actor Michael Douglas, given a concealed weapons permit to Ben Affleck, hired Lou Ferrigno as a reserve deputy, taken campaign contributions from Sylvester Stallone.
Serving as sheriff in Hollywood's home county makes the spotlight difficult to avoid. But Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca's involvement in Hilton's early release has some in his own department wondering whether he allows celebrity to interfere with justice.
"After this latest incident, outward appearances seem to be that the sheriff does lean toward favoritism of the rich and famous," said Steve Remige, president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, the union that represents the department's nearly 9,000 sworn deputies.
Baca, who manages the nation's largest jail system and upward of 20,000 inmates, said it was unusual for him to decide to release an inmate early. But he said concern about Hilton's deteriorating health -- not her status as "The Simple Life" television star and paparazzi magnet -- was the deciding factor.
The 65-year-old Baca, sheriff since 1998, said dealing with celebrities was part of the job. But he said he provides them no more attention than those without money or influence.
"My job is to help people who have public safety problems. God only knows that celebrities occasionally have those problems," Baca said.
The sheriff said he was disappointed by the suggestion that he allowed Hilton's celebrity status to influence him, suggesting that Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo sought to have the actress returned to jail because he wanted publicity. He also indicated that Hilton was punished excessively because of her celebrity.
"Her special treatment was more punishment," he said.
And he said Remige, the union president, "sees a chance to make himself seem important, and as a result he undermines not only himself but this woman's true condition."
This is not the first time that Baca's department has faced criticism for its handling of a high-profile case. Last year, a deputy who arrested actor Mel Gibson for drunk driving in Malibu was told to delete from the arrest report references to anti-Semitic comments the actor made after he was detained. Baca said he was not involved in the decision to edit that report.
