LOS ANGELES -- Hours after Paris Hilton was sent home under house arrest early Thursday, the Los Angeles judge who originally put her in jail ordered her back to court to determine whether he should return her to jail.

Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer issued his order after the city attorney filed a petition late Thursday afternoon demanding to show cause why Sheriff Lee Baca should not be held in contempt of court for releasing Hilton early and demanding that Hilton be held in custody.

Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini said Hilton was ordered to report to court at 9 a.m. Friday.

He added that although Hilton is at home she is technically in custody already because she is under house arrest.

Hilton reported to jail in Lynwood, south of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday night after attending the MTV Movie Awards.

A sheriff's spokesman said she was fitted with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet and sent home 2 a.m. Thursday.

She was ordered to finish her 45-day sentence under house arrest, meaning she could not leave her Hollywood Hills home until next month.

City Attorney Releases Statement

The Los Angeles city attorney released a terse statement regarding the reassignment from jail to home monitoring Thursday morning, according to TMZ.com.

In the statement released to TMZ, Rocky Delgadillo said that he was "extremely troubled to learn that the Sheriff's Department has decided to release Ms. Hilton from custody just three days after she was admitted to county jail."

Delgadillo said in the statement that the office was not advised of the action and learned of the news of her reassignment" through news reports, just like everyone else."

The city attorney blasted the sheriff's department, who said they took the action because of a "medical condition."

"The explanantion is puzzling," Delgadillo said in the statment to TMZ. "Los Angeles county jail medical facilities are well-equipped to deal with medical situations involving inmates."

Delgadillo said in the statement that the "judicial process may have been circumvented" in what is considered a probation case and that "only the judge has the power to modify the these conditions of the probation."

Delgadillo said that he has directed his criminal branch to explore legal options and that "we cannot tolerate a two-tiered jail system where the rich and powerful receive special treatment," TMZ reported.

Hilton Speaks

Earlier, Hilton released her first public statement since being reassigned from jail to home monitoring.

"I want to thank the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and staff of the Century Regional Detention Center for treating me fairly and professionally," Hilton said in the statement, posted on TMZ.com. "I am going to serve the remaining 40 days of my sentence. I have learned a great deal from this ordeal and hope that others have learned from my mistakes."

Hilton was reassigned from lockup early Thursday morning to home confinement because of a medical condition, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department announced.

But Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe balked at the move.

In a statement posted on the site, Knabe said, "This incident with Paris Hilton is just the most recent that highlights the problems of our criminal justice system has with making sentences stick, whether it is in a county jail or under electronic monitoring."

Hilton On Verge Of Nervous Breakdown?

Meanwhile, it appears the medical issue that prompted her "reassignment" is "mental, not physical," according to TMZ.com. Law enforcement officials told TMZ, the Web site that broke the story of her release early Thursday, that Hilton was "in peril of having a nervous breakdown."

The site also said that Hilton's psychiatrist, Charles Sophy, visited the socialite in jail Wednesday. According to TMZ, word was passed on to the sheriff's department after the meeting that Hilton was at risk because her "mental state was fragile."

TMZ reported that Sheriff Lee Baca signed off on the reassignment.

Hilton served only three days (five according to county officials) of her more than three-week sentence for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

LA County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said officials decided to allow the 26-year-old hotel heiress to resume her sentence under house arrest after consultation with medical personnel.

Although reporters asked several times about Hilton's medical condition, Whitmore refused to give any details, citing confidentiality.

He said she's been fitted with an ankle bracelet and will be confined to her home for 40 days -- meaning she has not been technically released from custody. He said she's been "reassigned."

She checked into the jail Sunday night just after 11:30 p.m. and was expected to serve 23 days for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case. Instead, she was sent home early Thursday.

TMZ reported earlier in the day that Hilton was released Thursday morning after a deal was made Wednesday.

The Web site said, "Unimpeachable sources tell TMZ the deal was sealed yesterday, and that Hilton made her exit early early this morning."

TMZ said Hilton was crying and couldn't sleep or eat. It said Hilton complained that her cell is "freezing cold." Hilton did have two visitors on her second day in jail -- her psychiatrist and her lawyer.

Before the reassignment, Hilton's lawyer said she was doing well.

Richard Hutton told reporters that Hilton used "this time to reflect on her life, to see what she can do to make the world better."

The 26-year-old hotel heiress checked into the suburban Los Angeles jail late Sunday to serve 23 days for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

The "Simple Life" star was in the "special needs" unit of the jail, separated from most of its 2,200 inmates.

Hutton was critical of Hilton's isolation, saying, "She is really being punished because of her celebrity."

Hutton said despite believing she received an unfair punishment, Hilton is taking responsibility by serving her time.