A Paris in America

[Update below]

Hah! Well, that didn't take long.

Paris Hilton was released from a Los Angeles County jail early Thursday because of an unspecified medical problem and will fulfill the remainder of her sentence for probation violation in home confinement, a sheriff's spokesman said.

The 26-year-old hotel heiress was sent home shortly after 2 a.m. wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

Hilton was sentenced to 45 days for violating her probation in a reckless driving case, but had been expected to serve 23 days in jail because of state rules allowing shorter sentences for good behavior.

She ended up spending three full days at the all-women's facility in Lynwood, but because she checked in late Sunday and left early Thursday, authorities credited her with five days of time served. She'll be confined to her Hollywood Hills home for 40 days.

So much for even the pretense.

Update: The judge was not amused:

A Los Angeles judge has ordered Paris Hilton to appear in court on Friday morning to determine whether she should be returned to jail.

The celebrity heiress was allowed to leave jail on Thursday, only three days into a 45-day sentence for violating probation on a drink-driving ban.