Kiefer Sutherland Receives Jail Time

By: Shannon Gossage

It has been reported that Sutherland copped to a lesser charge of driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent in exchange for a second charge of driving under the influence to be dropped. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office then recommended a sentence of 48 days in county jail stemming from his September 24 arrest. The exact sentence will be determined at a hearing on December 21. Sutherland said in a statement, "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. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally."

Sutherland was pulled over September 24 after leaving the FOX Fall Eco-Casino party at Area nightclub in West Hollywood. He was pulled over at approximately 1:30 a.m. after he was spotted making an illegal U-turn. Officers administered a field sobriety test and determined which he failed. He was then booked on misdemeanor DUI charges at the Los Angeles Police Department Hollywood station. He was released on $25,000 bail at approximately 5:42 a.m. Sutherland was already on probation for a prior 2004 DUI conviction at the time of his most recent arrest.

Sutherland will reportedly turn himself in after the December 21 court hearing and serve 18 days of his 48-day sentence. He will be released on January 7 and then be allowed to continue production on his hit show 24. He will then complete the last 30 days of his sentence during the summer. Sutherland was also ordered to complete an 18-month alcohol education program and must attend weekly alcohol therapy sessions for the next six months. He is also not eligible to drive until May 8, 2008 at the earliest. A rep from 20th Century Fox released a statement that they are behind him and "wish him well and look forward to a long relationship with him."