Kiefer Pleads No Contest In DUI Case

"24" Star Will Serve Up To 48 Days In Jail

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LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10, 2007

(AP)  Kiefer Sutherland pleaded no contest Tuesday to drunken driving and will serve a 48-day jail sentence for an incident that happened while the "24" star was on probation for a 2004 drunken driving arrest.

The show's star agreed to serve 30 days for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 days for violating his probation for the 2004 drunken driving case, according to court records.

The actor was not in the courtroom and his attorney, Blair Berk, entered the plea agreement. A second misdemeanor charge, driving under the influence, was dropped. The charges stemmed from a traffic stop in Los Angeles last month.

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Photos: Keifer Sutherland

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"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.

Sutherland will appear in court Dec. 21 for a probation violation hearing and sentencing on the new offense.

Terms of the sentencing recommendation that was submitted by Assistant City Attorney Dan F. Jeffries appeared mindful of the early releases that the county Sheriff's Department has given to others, including celebrities, because of jail crowding and other concerns.

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Photos: Celebrity Mug Shots

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The 40-year-old actor will begin serving the probation violation sentence in county jail on Dec. 21, and if he remains in county custody until Jan. 7, 2008, he will be credited for 18 days actually served and six days of so-called good time. The sheriff was specifically ordered to not release him to electronic monitoring.

That time behind bars coincides with the winter production break for the Fox TV drama "24."

Sutherland then will have until July 1, 2008, to serve an additional 30 days in jail for the new offense. If he goes to county jail and is released early, he agreed to serve the rest of the term in city jail.

Sutherland will be on probation for five years. He also faces fines and a driving suspension, according to court documents.

"Kiefer made clear to us at the time of his arrest that his first concern was the welfare of those he worked with and that he intended to do whatever was necessary to prevent shutting down the show because of his situation," a Fox statement said.

"He told us that even if he had to sacrifice more time in custody in order to protect the show and the jobs of those who work with him, he would do so. From what occurred today, it is evident he is a man of his word," it said.

Berk had no comment.

Sutherland also has a 1993 conviction for alcohol-related reckless driving, according to the city attorney's office.

He won a best actor Emmy last year for his performance as dashing federal counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer on "24."

© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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