Sierra judge allows treatment rather than prison

[Sierra with her attorney John Fitzgibbons, middle, and Dr. Drew Pinsky. Ken Helle | Times]

VH1's Dr. Drew Pinsky came to town Monday to plead with a judge to allow fallen American Idol contestant Jessica Sierra to go to a treatment center instead of prison. Circuit Judge Daniel Perry said he was reluctant to approve such a situation but ultimately decided to allow Sierra to head to California for a residential treatment program.

He also extended her probation for 24 more months, bringing it to a total of three years after her yearlong treatment.

Joseph Sierra confirmed rumors about his daughter's pregnancy:  "She's in jail and she's pregnant, you know. What else can go wrong?" he said.

Sierra will undergo one year of treatment at the Pasadena Recovery Center. Pinsky --  host of Celebrity Rehab, a VH1 show that has featured Sierra --  said Sierra is an addict who really needs "sustained, intensive and highly monitored treatment."

The judge said he is tired of Sierra's problem being glamorized and said she was not to allowed to use treatment as a stepping stone to a career. "I don't want her getting interviewed. I don't want her on TV. I'm over that," Perry said.

Meanwhile, Sierra will appear in Thursday's debut of Celebrity Rehab on VH1. The show was taped in mid 2007.

He said prison loomed if she didn't complete her treatment. "Either you finish it on your first try or you are going to prison.

"Stay out of Ybor City."

Previous Times coverage: Jessica Sierra: From celebrity to slammer

- Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer