Michael T. Sauer

Michael Thomas Sauer (December 13, 1937 – May 14, 2021) was an American judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He is best known for sentencing socialite Paris Hilton to 45 days in jail for violating the terms of her probation.

Appointed to Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1972 by Governor Ronald Reagan, Sauer was elevated to the Superior Court bench in 2000 when the two courts combined. While on the bench in May 1993, Sauer was responsible for removing the MCA World Headquarters shooting by John Brian Jarvis to California Superior Court. In 2003, he was moved from criminal court cases to misdemeanor arraignments — a posting heavy on traffic violations and DUIs.

Paris Hilton In May 2007 Sauer sentenced socialite Paris Hilton to 45 days in jail for violating her probation. Following the sentencing, Sauer reportedly received a standing ovation from his church in Los Angeles. However, the judge stated that this incident did not occur, and was also surprised at the amount of publicity surrounding the jail sentence.

The day after her release, June 8, Sauer ordered Hilton to report immediately to court, and then ordered her to return to jail to serve out her entire sentence.

Death Sauer died on May 14, 2021, at the age of 83.