24 star faces jail if convicted

Kiefer Sutherland stars as one-man crime-fighting machine Jack Bauer

Actor Kiefer Sutherland could go to jail if convicted of the two drink-driving offences he was formally charged with on Friday.

The charges were for driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit.

The 24 star, 40, faces at least four days in jail if found guilty, said LA City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan.

Each charge carries a maximum jail sentence of six months and a $500 (£245) fine.

Emmy-award winner

He remains on probation for a drink-driving offence in 2004 that resulted in his being put into a court-ordered alcohol treatment programme.

Mr Mateljan said Sutherland would get at least four days in jail if found guilty because it would count as his second drink-driving conviction.

The actor is best-known for his Emmy-award winning role as Jack Bauer in the real-time drama, which is returning for its seventh season in the US in January next year. It averaged 13.5 million viewers earlier this year.

Last week Sutherland was number 10 on financial magazine Forbes' list of the highest-paid celebrities between June 2006 and June 2007.

It stated that he earned $22m (£10.79m); the list was topped by Oprah Winfrey with $260m (£128m).