Sutherland released after 48 days in jail

Sutherland released
after 48 days in jail

LOS ANGELES — Kiefer Sutherland was released from jail early Monday after serving 48 days on a drunken driving charge, police said. The actor was ushered out a back door and into a waiting car at 12:05 a.m. to avoid the media near the Glendale jail’s main entrance, Officer John Balian said.

Sutherland spent most of his jail sentence by himself, interacting with fellow prisoners only when he was on the way to the laundry room where he worked cleaning sheets, pillowcases and blankets, Balian said. The star of Fox television’s “24” also had a cell to himself and ate alone, he said.

Officials rejected several requests from strangers who asked to visit Sutherland during his sentence. Prisoners are only allowed to receive visitors already named on a list, he said.

Sutherland pleaded no contest in October to driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He was sentenced to 30 days, as well as 18 days for violating probation stemming from a 2004 drunken-driving arrest.

After entering his plea last fall, Sutherland issued a statement saying he was “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.”

He was granted a request to serve his time in suburban Glendale’s city jail rather than in the overcrowded downtown Los Angeles County jail. Prosecutors said at the time of Sutherland’s sentencing that he might be released early if he did time in a county jail, due to crowding, but Sutherland attorney Blair Berk said Monday the actor would have had to serve his full term regardless of where he was incarcerated.

Sutherland must also serve five years probation and complete an 18-month alcohol education program and attend weekly therapy sessions for six months.

Balian called Sutherland a model prisoner who has paid his dues.

“He was very cooperative, humble, didn’t give us any problems. He never wanted any preferential treatment,” Balian said. “Forty-eight days is a long time, but as far as we are concerned, he paid his debt to society.”

Today’s birthdays

Former Sen. Birch Bayh, D-Ind., is 80. Actress Piper Laurie is 76. Actor Seymour Cassel is 73. Author Joseph Wambaugh is 71. Actor John Hurt is 68. Singer Steve Perry is 59. Country singer-musician Teddy Gentry (Alabama) is 56. Movie director Jim Jarmusch is 55. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Mike Bossy is 51. Actress Linda Blair is 49. Actress Diane Lane is 43. Actor-rap DJ Jazzy Jeff is 43. Country singer Regina Nicks (Regina Regina) is 43. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gay (Shai) is 39. Actor Gabriel Macht is 36. Actor Balthazar Getty is 33. Actor Christopher Kennedy Masterson is 28. Pop singer Willa Ford is 27. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kelton Kessee (IMX) is 27. Actress Beverley Mitchell is 27. Rock singer-musician Ben Moody is 27.