In an attempt to lower potential jail time, Kiefer Sutherland pleaded no contest on Tuesday to a drunken driving case. If the judge accepts the plea agreement, Sutherland will spend this Christmas and New Years' season behind bars.
Sutherland could potentially face six months in jail for the incident, as it violates the terms of his probation from a drunken driving conviction in the 2004.
This time around Sutherland was caught doing an illegal u-turn in West Hollywood, and was found to have a blood-alcohol level above .08. He was released after posting $25,000 for bail. Another misdemeanor charge against the actor for driving under the influence was dropped.
If the plea agreement is accepted, Sutherland would spend a total of 48 days in jail, but not consecutively. There would be 18 days spent in jail starting December 21, the day the production break for "24" begins, and ending January 7, 2008. An additional 30 days sometime before July 1, 2008 would be the second part of the agreement.
"I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on `24' and at 20th Century Fox," Sutherland said in a statement.
Additional conditions of the deal would require Sutherland to attend an 18-month alcohol-education class, while also going to weekly alcohol-therapy sessions for a six-month period. He will also not be allowed to drive until May 9, 2008.
The ruling on the plea agreement by the judge will come on December 21, 2007.
» Kiefer Sutherland Decides to Start Serving Jail Sentence Now from BizofShowBiz
While Kiefer Sutherland could have waited until February 12 to start serving his 48-day jail sentence, he decided to start serving it right away. Evidently the writers' strike probably had some influence on that decision, as it was surmised that... [Read More]
Tracked on: December 6, 2007 3:33 PM | Permalink to Trackback