Kiefer Sutherland To Spend 48 Seasons Of 24 In Jail

On his hit TV show 24, there's no emotional trauma that Kiefer Sutherland can't overcome by staring tearfully into the middle distance for 30 seconds then thumping the steering wheel of his car - but real life's a bit more tricky.

Following his recent DUI arrest, Kiefer Sutherland has been sentenced to 48 days in jail after he pleaded no contest to the charge. Luckily for Kiefer, though, those 48 days won't be served consecutively - he'll need to roll up for an 18-day sentence before Christmas and then 30 more days in the slammer before next July. However, Kiefer Sutherland shouldn't expect an easy ride from jail - he'll need to quickly learn that not all interpersonal conflicts can be solved by cutting off other people's hands, plus it goes without saying that CTU won't be able to form a hard perimeter around Kiefer's cell when he learns that a deranged drug-dealer wants to shank him in the kidneys for being a big-shot TV star.

It's easy to confuse Kiefer Sutherland and his 24 character Jack Bauer - they both look alike, for a start - but in reality there's a world of difference. Jack Bauer's catchphrase, for example, is "I need you to tell me where the bombs are, damnit" while Kiefer Sutherland's is probably something along the lines of "Woo! Party! Wooooooo!" Also Kiefer Sutherland cares about the environment, while you get the impression that Jack Bauer would crash a nuclear-powered passenger jet packed with improperly-disposed CFC-filled refrigeration units into a polar ice cap if it meant that a man didn't point a gun at the president. Finally, and most pertinently, Jack Bauer managed to kick a debilitating heroin addiction in something like 45 minutes, where Kiefer Sutherland's having a little bit more trouble trying to come off the booze.

Back last month Kiefer Sutherland was arrested for DUI, which isn't so bad - everyone from Ray Liotta to Eve to Vivica A Fox has been arrested for DUI at some point - until you realise that Kiefer Sutherland has now been arrested for the same thing on four separate occasions, including one arrest that he was still on probation for. And yesterday Kiefer Sutherland pleaded no contest to DUI in court and was hit with a 48-day jail sentence in return. The New York Daily News reports:

It's 48 days in the clink for "24" star Kiefer Sutherland. The Emmy-winning actor who plays all-American hero Jack Bauer on the hit Fox TV series pleaded no contest to a single DUI count on Tuesday in a deal that leaves little room for one of his signature TV escapes. Sutherland must serve 18 days starting Dec. 21 to pay for the fact that his recent drunk-driving bust violated the probation terms of his 2004 DUI conviction. Cushy house arrest with electronic monitoring is strictly forbidden. He then must serve another 30 days by July, with no Paris Hilton-style reprieve, officials said… "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited," Sutherland, 40 said in a statement.

And this time 48 days seems to mean 48 days - Kiefer Sutherland won't be given a Nicole Richie-style micro-sentence because of overcrowding or anything. 

But, although 48 days in jail - and an 18-month alcohol-education program and therapy - seems a trifle excessive, Kiefer Sutherland could have had it so much worse. Originally it was thought that Kiefer could have spent a year in jail for the offence, something which would have buggered 24 up immensely. But the two shorter sentences Kiefer Sutherland was given should mean that the production of 24 can carry on as normal without bringing the contingency plan where Tony Almeda comes back as a zombie and chases crooked politicians around the White House with his jaw hanging off into action. So at least in that respect we can tell that the judge must be a big fan of 24.

Good job Kiefer Sutherland was never in the cast of Torchwood, then, because we'd be lucky if we ever saw him again.

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24 Actor Kiefer Gets 48 Days In Jail - New York Daily News