Jack Bauer Framed!

[MarkG]

Sutherland charged for drunk driving

Posted Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:49am AEST

Kiefer Sutherland, who portrays the ultimate terrorist-fighting agent Jack Bauer in the hit television series 24, faces possible prison after he was formally charged with drunk driving.

Sutherland, 40, risks a year and a half in jail for two charges for driving while intoxicated, according to the office of the Los Angeles city attorney.

Sutherland was stopped in West Hollywood, favoured by the area's wealthy night-owls, after making an illegal u-turn. Police tests showed his blood-alcohol level was over the California legal limit for driving.

The actor, the son of veteran movie star Donald Sutherland, was already on five year's probation for a 2004 misdemeanour drunk driving offence. The city attorney said he will be asking for the probation to be withdrawn, meaning Sutherland could be sent to prison for the earlier offence.

Sutherland's hit series 24 is scheduled to return to the screen in January for its seventh season.

- AFP

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/29/2046915.htm?section=world

[BeBMan]

It was all to save the world. Working undercover he had to drink to convince the terrists that he's one of them.

[snoopy369]

5 years probation for a misdemeanor DUI? That's harsh... i'm all for it, mind you, but wow, that's a lot compared to normal.

Not letting celebrities get away with endangering others

[MarkG]

is it me or is there an increase in the number of celebrities really facing prison time for such acts?

[Pekka]

Good stuff, drunk drivers are douches.

Jack Bauer x infinity.

[Lorizael]

Is this how we treat a national hero?

[Berzerker]

If all he did was pull an illegal U-Turn, so what? DUI doesn't tell me he was driving drunk

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Berzerker
If all he did was pull an illegal U-Turn, so what? DUI doesn't tell me he was driving drunk

WTF?!!

Police tests showed his blood-alcohol level was over the California legal limit for driving.

[Berzerker]

That tells me he was over a blood alcohol limit, not that he was driving drunk. Somebody driving drunk displays an inability to control their vehicle.

[MarkG]

Police tests showed his blood-alcohol level was over the California legal limit for driving.

Actual legal limit vs Berzerker's definition of drunk....
let's see, what matters more... hmmm...

[MarkG]

Imran, please stop copying my thoughts! Science damn it!

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Berzerker
That tells me he was over a blood alcohol limit, not that he was driving drunk. Somebody driving drunk displays an inability to control their vehicle.

well, it was an illegal u-turn. Apparently he displayed an inability to follow simple traffic laws, which is good enough for the pull over.

[asleepathewheel]

California must have really weird probation laws.

A misdemeanor results in 5 years probation?

a basic definition of a misdemeanor is that its punishment is less than a year in jail. If you're on probation for 5 years, that's 5 years you can be sent to prison for. odd...

Zkrib?

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by snoopy369
5 years probation for a misdemeanor DUI? That's harsh... i'm all for it, mind you, but wow, that's a lot compared to normal.

IIRC (not an area of California law with which I've had any experience), the sentencing standards vary depending on blood alcohol level and other factors. If you have more than a certain amount above the minimum, or if there's an injury accident, property damage above certain levels, or other incidental traffic offenses, then sentencing ratchets up accordingly.

The standard deal for routine DUI first offense is something like two days jail (usually just time served in booking process instead of two full days), fines around $2000, and 3 years probation.

[MarkG]

perhaps he had other cases prior to the 2004 dui