'24' star Sutherland sentenced to 48 days behind bars

A Los Angeles court on Tuesday sentenced Canadian television and film actor Kiefer Sutherland to 48 days in jail for an incident that happened while the Emmy-winning actor was on probation for a 2004 drunken driving arrest.

Sutherland, who did not appear in court on Tuesday, submitted a no-contest plea via his attorney Blair Berk, who showed up in downtown L.A. and entered a no contest plea to one count of DUI -driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08%. Under the plea deal, a related misdemeanor charge, driving under the influence, was dropped.

A meeting between Sutherland’s lawyers and prosecutors was held on Tuesday. Presided over by honorable Stuart Rice, Site Judge of the LA Superior Court, the meeting resulted in a plea agreement that sends the Canadian actor behind bars for 48 days.

As per the court records, Sutherland has pleaded no contest to drunken driving and will serve a 48-day jail sentence that would reflect 30 days for the misdemeanor charge and 18 days for violating probation on a separate 2004 DUI case.

Sutherland is scheduled to personally appear for sentencing on December 21 and will serve 18 days for the charge of violating probation. His first stint would end on January 7, 2008. The actor will then have to serve an additional 30 days for the DUI charge in jail or at “an acceptable City Jail facility,” which will have to be served no later than July 1, 2008.

Best-known for playing counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer on the Fox drama series, "24," Sutherland was formally charged with two counts of misdemeanor drunken driving in Los Angeles, nearly two weeks ago.

Sutherland has been arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on the misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence. He was arrested in the early morning hours on Sept. 25 on suspicion of drunken driving in West Los Angeles and later was released on bail.

The 40-year-old actor was pulled over in West L.A. around 1:30 a.m. after making an illegal U-turn, authorities said. He was nabbed for investigation of misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence after he failed a field sobriety test. He was on way back to home after attending the Fox Fall Eco-Casino party at Area nightclub.

Sutherland failed a Breathalyzer exam, registering blood alcohol level higher than the permissible limit, though authorities declined to disclose by how much. The legal blood alcohol limit in LA is .08 percent. He was released around 4 a.m. the same day after posting a $25,000 bail.

This is not the first time the ‘24’ star is arrested for DUI instead he has a history of DUI charges. The latest arrest is his third for the same offense. As per the Los Angeles County Superior Court records, Sutherland was twice convicted for alcohol-related reckless driving, in 1989 and in 1993. In 2004, Sutherland was sentenced to serve 50-hours community service for a drunk-driving charge in Los Angeles.

Born on December 21, 1966 in London, UK, Kiefer is the son of actor Donald Sutherland and Canadian actress Shirley Douglas. He is the grandson of Canada’s influential politician Tommy Douglas. He has a twin sister named Rachel who works as TV post-production supervisor in Toronto, and three step-brothers from his father’s earlier marriage.

Sutherland made a big screen debut by appearing as Bill in Max Dugan Returns in 1983. He is most famous for his role as CIA agent Jack Bauer in the worldwide TV hit “24”. His magnificent acting in the Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran- created series, helped him won a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Golden Satellite Awards, as well as received two Emmy nominations.

Sutherland has been married twice. In 1988, he was married to actress Camelia Kath who was 14 years his senior. But their marriage lasted for two years. The couple filed for divorce in February 1990. They share a daughter, Sarah Jude born in the same year they got married. He was married a second time, to Kelly Winn, on June 29, 1996. Unfortunately, the relationship ended in May 2004.

Kiefer is known to have had romantic relationships with several women like Julia Roberts and dancer Amanda Rice. He became engaged to Roberts in 1991, although their relationship ended just five days before their planned marriage, which was scheduled for June 14, 1991.