Judge extends Nicole Richie’s probation for 2006 drunken driving arrest until March

Judge extends Nicole Richie’s DUI probation

GLENDALE, Calif. — Court records show a judge has extended Nicole Richie’s probation until March to give her more time to complete alcohol education classes.

Richie was not present in court Tuesday when the order was made. She will have to complete the classes by February.

Richie’s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, did not immediately return a phone message and e-mail seeking comment.

Richie was arrested in December 2006 after witnesses reported seeing her black Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle headed the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank. She later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor driving under the influence charge and spent 82 minutes in jail.

A former star of the television series “The Simple Life,” Richie is engaged to longtime boyfriend and rocker Joel Madden.