Officials, Activists Pan Paris' "Reassignment"

Paris Hilton's "reassignment" is not sitting well with some politicians and civil rights leaders, who are crying foul over the Simple Life socialite's abrupt transfer from a Los Angeles County jail cell to home detention in her posh Hollywood Hills digs.

Hilton was allowed to leave Century Regional Detention Facility about 2 a.m. Thursday after Sheriff Lee Baca, in consultation with jail officials and Hilton's doctors, agreed that her "medical condition" warranted the change of scenery. She will serve 40 days under house arrest, with an ankle bracelet keeping tabs on her movements.

A sheriff's department spokesman declined to elaborate on the nature of said condition, other than to say it was not a staph infection or related to a jailhouse epidemic. But with Hilton receiving visits from her psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Sophy, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and numerous reports of her crying incessantly in her cell and refusing to eat, speculation has centered on her transfer being for emotional reasons.

Judge Michael T. Sauer, who sentenced Hilton to 45 days in jail for violating her probation for alcohol-related drunken driving, was said to be angry with the transfer, but his spokesman said there was little the judge could do. "The way the system works is that the court imposes the sentence and the sheriff incarcerates," said Allan Parachini.

"The sheriff makes decisions concerning the conditions of confinement and early release. Early release is an everyday occurrence."

Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, whose office prosecuted the case, said he is "extremely troubled" by the release and has asked his prosecutors to "immediately explore all possible legal options to ensure that the law is being applied equally and justly in this case."

As of this afternoon, the county board of supervisors had received more than 400 phone calls, emails and faxes complaining about Hilton's release. A spokeswoman for the county said her office had received about 600 emails and calls. The city attorney's office declined to cite a specific number of Hilton-related correspondents, but said it had "been inundated" with calls and emails from not only Los Angeles but across the country.

There was no word from the Hilton camp beyond a brief statement issued via her attorney. "I have learned a great deal from this ordeal," Hilton said, "and hope that others have learned from my mistakes."

While Hilton did receive visitors, including parents Rick and Kathy and sister Nicky, she managed to remain out of sight from the camera crews camped outside her 2,700-square-foot abode—even when a delivery of cupcakes arrived at the door.

One of Hilton's longtime friends, Caroline D'Amore, tells E! News that Hilton was planning on having a welcome-home party later Thursday. "You know, [it's] just friends and hanging out and giving her hugs and kisses and stuff like that,...but we'll see."

Almost immediately, news of Hilton's home confinement sparked outrage, especially among African-American activists like the Reverend Al Sharpton, who groused, "This early release gives all of the appearances of economic and racial favoritism that is constantly cited by poor people and people of color.

"There are any number of cases of people who handle being incarcerated badly and even have health conditions that are not released," he continued in a statement from his National Action Network. "This act smacks of the double standards that many of us raise."

Najee Ali, director of the Los Angeles-based Project Islamic HOPE, held an afternoon press conference in downtown Los Angeles to protest what he called an act of injustice and call on lawmakers to investigate.

"One rule for the rich and famous and different rules for everyone else," he said.

Even Elisabeth Hasselbeck chimed in on The View, calling the move "disgusting." "If you're rich and you're hot…[then] we'll let you off the hook," she said. And MSNBC legal analyst Susan Filan labeled Baca's decision "a joke."

"She didn't do her time like anybody else," she fumed. "If I were a defense lawyer in L.A., I'd say, 'You know that condition she has, well, my client's got a whole lot worse than she does.' "

Such grousing prompted a quick reply from the county supervisors, who promised to probe the matter. Admitting that the sheriff is an elected official and not beholden to the board, Don Knabe nonetheless said he and his fellow supervisors were pushing for a state bill to ensure lawbreakers complete their sentences.

"This incident with Paris Hilton is just the most recent that highlights the problems our criminal justice system has with making sure sentences stick, whether it is in a county jail or under electronic monitoring," he said.

Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke, meanwhile, said she will ask the sheriff for a full explanation.

"The decision is not inconsistent with current department policy," Burke said.

Baca, meanwhile, declined any comment through his spokesman and bailed on two scheduled press events Thursday morning.

However, not everyone was buying into the notion that favoritism was a factor.

Jean Rosenbluth, a law professor at the University of Southern California, told E! Online that there was nothing wrong with Hilton's transfer "assuming that she was literally about to have a nervous breakdown."

Rosenbluth also noted that "an inmate like Paris Hilton is more trouble for the sheriff's department because of the special circumstances surrounding her celebrity. It makes it more difficult in terms of resources, because she has to have her own cell and more people to watch over what she does."

As for how the events may affect Hilton's pop-culture status, there was more consensus: The future looks bright.

"I think the whole situation is going to positively affect her career. I think right now we're going to see a lot of jokes about it.  And a lot of people will say it's not fair even though it's not too inconsistent with what happens with average people in a similar situation," said Rita Tateel, president of the Celebrity Source. "But the fact that she was in jail at all is probably a good PR thing for her because now she's going to have more depth to her."

Professor Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, told E! Online that going to jail is "in Paris' job description" and that's what makes her so interesting for people to watch.

"She gets attention because she's pretty and parties a lot....What she did with that name recognition she does better than everybody else," Thompson said.  "If all of the sudden she turned over a new leaf and became a choirgirl, that would be bad for her career."

Todd Boyd, professor of race and popular culture at USC, agreed.

"Paris was always someone famous for being famous anyway, and so any attention is ultimately good attention," he mused.

"Plus, the jail time will also give her a certain amount of street cred. For someone always in need of publicity, this takes it to another level."