Nicole Richie at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia (6/18)

With the trials and tribulations of Lindsay Lohan in the news on a daily basis, it's easy to forget that there are other morons in Hollywood, too. Such as Nicole Richie. Remember the DUI she got in 2006 for DRIVING THE WRONG WAY ON A FREEWAY while she was high? Her probation was just extended a year because she didn't complete the terms. From Us Weekly:

Her lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, explained to the judge Tuesday that Richie had a court-approved leave of absence from her alcohol education classes, a condition of her probation, while she raised her kids, Harlow, 2, and Sparrow, 9 months.

Richie's probation will be extended until March 2011, but the judge said she'd call off the probation if Richie finishes her classes earlier.

Nicole's probation required that she attend 12 hours of alcohol education classes. She had 3 years to complete 12 hours of classes. And she couldn't even do that. And worse, she's using her kids as an excuse. That's Nicole on vacation in Australia last week. Without her kids (the flight to Australia from L.A. takes roughly 12 hours, btw). And it's not like this is her first vacation during her probation. She's blown off classes to go to Europe, Africa, Asia, etc. She's been to more continents than Carmen Sandiego. Not that that matters, of course, she lives in L.A. The judge in her case isn't just an idiot, I think he might be an actual monkey. Nicole's probably been mailing him bananas the past three years to get on his good side.

*30 pics total in the gallery:

[Flynet]