Real Housewives star Kim Richards avoids jail after probation slip in Target shoplifting case

By Adam S. Levy For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:14 EST, 24 August 2016 | Updated: 22:17 EST, 24 August 2016

Kim Richards is staying out of jail ... for now.

The ex-Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 51, was on the hot seat Wednesday linked to a probation violation after she was convicted of shoplifting more than $600 worth of merchandise at a Van Nuys Target store in August of 2015.

While officials said she had not made good on the 30 days of community service and 52 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings the court ordered her to fulfill, on deadline, as part of her sentence, TMZ reported that her legal team was able to prove that she had completed both tasks late.

Back on the red carpet: Kim Richards, 51, was allowed to remain a free woman Wednesday amid accusations the ex-RHOBH star had violated her probation in her 2015 shoplifting conviction 

Back on the red carpet: Kim Richards, 51, was allowed to remain a free woman Wednesday amid accusations the ex-RHOBH star had violated her probation in her 2015 shoplifting conviction 

The presiding judge continued the matter until November, at which time the Southern California socialite - who remains on probation for the humiliating incident - must prove she's up-to-date on all of her court-ordered responsibilities.

The mother-of-four's shoplifting arrest came nearly a year ago, on August 2, 2015, when the former child actress was busted outside the retailer by a security guard with a swiped haul that consisted of children's-related items such as stickers, crayons and coloring books.

Kim, whose sister Kyle Richards remains a key cast member on Bravo's hit show set in the 90210, kept a low profile on Twitter Wednesday, with her last post having come Tuesday, in which she wished her youngest daughter, Kimberly Jackson, a happy 21st birthday.

Rock bottom: Kim's humiliating arrest came in August of 2015, when she was nabbed outside of a Van Nuys Target store with more than $600 in stolen merchandise

Rock bottom: Kim's humiliating arrest came in August of 2015, when she was nabbed outside of a Van Nuys Target store with more than $600 in stolen merchandise

Reality bites: Kim's substance abuse issues were often the focal point of her storylines on RHOBH

Reality bites: Kim's substance abuse issues were often the focal point of her storylines on RHOBH

Hard times: It's been a rough two years for the Los Angeles socialite, who was arrested twice in embarrassing circumstances, then lost her ex-husband and confidante Monty Brinson this past January to cancer

Hard times: It's been a rough two years for the Los Angeles socialite, who was arrested twice in embarrassing circumstances, then lost her ex-husband and confidante Monty Brinson this past January to cancer

As reality TV viewers might remember, Jackson has been one of Kim's biggest supporters, as the dynamics of their nurturing - and sometimes-tragic - parent-child relationship were laid bare on Lifetime's The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition.

Viewers of the program saw Jackson admit that she's often forced into a 'caretaker' role over her mother, who was also arrested in April of 2015 in connection with public intoxication and more after a drunken, belligerent run-in with a police officer after she was kicked out of the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Sisterhood: Kim posed in 2014 with sister Kyle, 47, who remains one of the key players on RHOBH 

Sisterhood: Kim posed in 2014 with sister Kyle, 47, who remains one of the key players on RHOBH 

On the Lifetime program, Jackson said she was overwhelmed at times dealing with her mother, who she called 'fragile, physically and emotionally.'

A teary-eyed Richards, after seeing her daughter's frustration, admitted, 'I need to remember how my decisions do affect Kimberly.'

On the show, Kim, who's also related to Kathy and Paris Hilton, seemed to believe that her time on Bravo's RHOBH 'really hurt me because I was struggling with certain things.'

Fame, with a price: Kim (second from left) admitted this year that her stint in front of reality TV cameras on RHOBH came at a time she was 'struggling with certain things' 

Fame, with a price: Kim (second from left) admitted this year that her stint in front of reality TV cameras on RHOBH came at a time she was 'struggling with certain things' 

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