At just after midnight in California on Tuesday, Paris Hilton was released from jail.  After serving 23 days in the slammer, the hotel heiress and socialite was all smiles as she walked out of the Lynwood Correctional Facility.

It was a crazy scene at the county jail as Paris exited from the front door into the loving arms of her family and about 200 of her best paparazzi friends!  Hilton who is known for loving the paparazzi was greeted with flashes and a few cheers from waiting fans.

The paparazzi swarmed around the black SUV that Paris jumped into where her mother and father waited.  Some photographers even ran into the street dodging traffic to snap a picture of Hilton as a free woman.

Many stations including CNN, BBC World, Fox News and E! cut into their overnight programming to cover Paris' release live.