City atty.’s wife drove with license suspended

Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo acknowledged Friday that his wife got a traffic ticket while driving with a suspended license in 2005, which resulted in her paying a $186 fine.

The disclosure came on the same day that Delgadillo insisted on more jail time for heiress Paris Hilton.

Delgadillo said through a spokesman that his wife regrets the violation, but that her situation is not comparable to the Hilton case.

“Paris Hilton, when driving with a suspended license, was on probation for a DUI-reckless driving charge,” said Nick Velasquez, the Delgadillo spokesman. “Ms. Hilton was jailed because she was driving on a suspended license in violation of the conditions of her probation for the DUI-reckless driving incident.”

Michelle Delgadillo, 36, was ticketed two years ago for failing to obey a turn-only sign, but was not cited by the ticketing officer for the license suspension.

Her license had been suspended the previous year after she was involved in an accident and could not show that she had insurance, as required by state law.

The city attorney’s office was not involved in Michelle Delgadillo’s case, which went through the usual traffic court channels.

“Once Rocky learned of this, he urged his wife to remedy the situation, and she did,” Velasquez said. “Michelle regrets driving with a suspended license and takes full responsibility for her mistake.”

Michelle Delgadillo’s license was suspended for “driving without proof of insurance and causing an accident,” said Mike Miller, a spokesman for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Michelle Delgadillo did not file a copy of the accident report with the DMV, Miller said, but the other driver involved in the accident did. Reports are required whenever an accident involves injury or more than $750 in damage. When she failed to provide proof of insurance, the DMV suspended her license from July 25, 2004, through March 6, 2007, Miller said.

On Sept. 13, 2005, Delgadillo was issued a ticket by a Los Angeles Police Department officer from West Traffic Division at 6th Street and Fairfax Place. She was driving the family’s personal vehicle, a Ford Expedition, according to the ticket.

The ticketing officer wrote “none” in the place on the ticket where it asks for evidence of financial responsibility.

“If her license was suspended, she should not have been driving that day,” said Shirley Richardson, a manager for the DMV.

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patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com