A "scared" Nicole Richie has been praying not to land in jail like her best buddy Paris Hilton, the 25-year-old star told David Letterman during a taping for his talk show on Wednesday.

"I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, and, you know, of course, I'm scared also, but, you know, I'm willing to face whatever consequences come my way, and I take responsibility for what I've done," she said on CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman."

The star of "The Simple Life" was charged with DUI in February but pleaded not guilty. Police say she was under the influence of booze and an unspecified drug when they stopped her Dec. 11.

Richie already had a 2003 misdemeanor DUI conviction. The California vehicle code says if convicted of DUI twice within 10 years, a person can be sentenced to between 90 days and a year in jail.

According to Richie, she'll probably learn her fate at "the end of this month."

When asked if prison was a likelihood, Richie told Letterman, "Um, yeah."

Richie has a philosophy for facing up to her missteps.

"I really try and take everything that I go through as a life lesson," she said, "and I try not to make the same mistake twice."

Richie, the daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie, said she had not spoken to the heiress since she began her jail term Sunday, but did talk to Hilton in the days leading up to her sentence.