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LOS ANGELES -- A Los Angeles court commissioner Tuesday issued a restraining order against Paris Hilton, ordering her to stay away from an event producer who alleged the socialite threatened his life.
Brian Quintana testified that Hilton shoved him on at least three occasions, disrupted his relationships with clients and called him numerous times with threats. He filed papers against the hotel heiress on Dec. 29.
Hilton's publicist Elliot Mintz was in the courtroom, but did not testify.
"I've known Paris and worked with her, and the kind of person that was described on the stand this afternoon doesn't resemble the woman that I know," he said, following the ruling. "And I find some of these statements to be baffling."
"The overall tone of her being this kind of menacing being who would send people out to beat people up, and things of that nature, I just find all of that to be absurd," Mintz added.
Quintana testified that he met the 24-year-old hotel heiress two or three years ago in a social setting, and the relationship turned sour late last year.
"We frequent the same clubs, the same red carpet events, the same restaurants," he said. "... It was a social relationship."
In September 2004, Quintana said he became friends with Stavros Niarchos, and later became his "PR rep." He introduced Niarchos to Hilton, and they started dating.
Quintana, 37, testified his relationship with Hilton changed in November when " Paris accused me of planting unfavorable stories toward her in the press."
Hilton shoved him in the chest, he said.
Quintana testified that Hilton interrupted a conversation he was having with Niarchos -- initially out of her earshot -- about a call he had received from the tabloid Star Magazine.
"I wanted to make sure that he was aware that she might have herpes," Quintana said on the stand. Outside of court, Quintana's attorney Richard Sherman said they had no specific knowledge on any medical condition Hilton may have.
Quintana testified that Hilton threatened him if a story was published.
In December, Quintana said he got a phone call from Hilton, who was in Hawaii. She allegedly said, "I'm going to put a contract out on you."
The party promoter said he became increasingly concerned for his safety when he received other calls from Hilton and "a barrage of threatening calls" from unknown people, including at least one from someone asking where Quintana had moved, although he hadn't told anyone he had moved. A friend of Hilton's also called to warn him that "I'd messed with the wrong family," he testified.
Quintana filed a police report at the Hollywood Station at 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 29, the same day he filed for a restraining order in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to court records.
As a result of Hilton's alleged behavior, Quintana testified he has seen a therapist three times and sought medical treatment twice for a rash that was determined to be stress-related.
Quintana testified that as recent as last month he believed he was being lured to an after-hours party where someone in Hilton's circle was going to hurt him. He said she has connections with a convicted felon and has ordered beatings before.
Under cross-examination, Hilton attorney Howard Weitzman questioned Quintana about lying under oath in an earlier case.
Quintana said he had lied about 10 years ago in an unlawful detainer case. In his argument to the court, Weitzman said the purpose of Quintana's restraining order request and the hearing was to embarrass Hilton. "It is my opinion that the evidence does not rise to a clear and convincing level," Weitzman said.
Sherman countered that Hilton's failure to appear in court to defend herself "speaks volumes" and said Weitzman "did not put on a shred of evidence here" to counter Quintana's allegations.
Los Angeles Court Commissioner Tim Murphy sided with Quintana, finding that despite his history of perjury, he had provided some evidence, and Hilton had not refuted it.
Quintana called the ruling "a huge victory for the little people." "Usually ... the little guy gets kicked around in court when they hire the big gun lawyer, and I'm just really relieved that justice prevailed today," he said.
Weitzman said the decision was a victory for Hilton as well, since she wants nothing to do with Quintana.
The attorney said he sought two mutual restraining orders that would keep the two separated, but Quintana refused to go along.
"This individual is meaningless in her life, and from her perspective ... he's continued to harass her and insinuate himself into her life," Weitzman said. "And she'd like him out of it, so we offered to do that."
Weitzman said Quintana and his attorney were aware that Hilton would not be in court today to "contribute to the circus that he's created."
"I am disappointed only because when you have an admitted perjurer get up there and weave a story like you heard, it's probably less than believable in my opinion, but the judge did what he thought was appropriate, and we'll live with it," Weitzman said. "Our biggest concern is to get this individual out of our life, and anyway you look at it, we've achieved that."
The details of the restraining order will be drafted and submitted to the judge for his approval, Sherman said.
Because Quintana and Hilton sometimes attend the same events, it likely will not be a standard 100-yard stay-away order, he said.
"We'll be drafting an order for the court to sign, and I'll be sending it over to Mr. Weitzman to review before I do that," Sherman said.
The attorney said Quintana also plans to file civil claims against Hilton within the next 30 days.
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