Nicole Richie is worried about going to jail

NEW YORK — Does Nicole Richie think she’s next?

Paris Hilton’s good buddy told David Letterman during a taping for his talk show on Wednesday that she’s worried about landing in the pokey, too.

“I’m just keeping my fingers crossed, and, you know, of course, I’m scared also, but, you know, I’m willing to face whatever consequences come my way, and I take responsibility for what I’ve done,” she said.

Richie, the 25-year-old daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie, pleaded not guilty in February to driving under the influence. She was arrested Dec. 11 and volunteered she had smoked marijuana and taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin, but no drugs were found on her or in the car, police said.

Richie already had a 2003 misdemeanor DUI conviction. The California vehicle code says if convicted of DUI twice within 10 years, a person can be sentenced to between 90 days and a year in jail and have his or her driving privileges suspended.

Slideshow: The Week in Celebrity Sightings During the “Late Show” taping, Letterman asked Richie, who acknowledged previous legal troubles, when she’ll learn her fate.

“Probably the end of this month,” she responded.

A sympathetic Letterman wished her the best, saying, “I hope you don’t have to go to jail.”

Richie starred in the TV reality show “The Simple Life” with Hilton, who has had similar problems. The 26-year-old hotel heiress checked into the Century Regional Detention Facility in suburban Los Angeles on Sunday to serve 23 days for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.