Actor Kelsey Grammer, a cast member of the NBC sitcom "Cheers," was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in the County Jail for violating his probation in a drunken driving case.
Van Nuys Municipal Court Commissioner Patricia Schwartz allowed Grammer, 35, of Van Nuys, to delay serving his jail term until May 24, when he is to surrender in her court.Prosecutors said Grammer, who plays psychiatrist Frasier Crane on "Cheers," was sentenced in 1988 in a drunken driving case to attend alcohol education classes. Grammer never attended the classes and later was ordered to serve 10 days working on a California Department of Trans-poration crew.
Deputy City Attorney Janet Ramos said Grammer did not serve his time with the transportation crew either and also missed later court appearances in the case.
For those reasons, Schwartz found Grammer in violation of his probation and sentenced him to 30 days in jail.
Grammer is charged in a separate case with possession of cocaine and faces a preliminary hearing in that case on Monday.
The actor previously received permission from Van Nuys Municipal Court Judge Aviva Bobb to enter in a drug rehabilitation program in lieu of being prosecuted on the cocaine charge.
But Grammer also failed to enroll in that program and last week asked the judge to be allowed another chance to enter it. He was turned down, and the prosecution of the case was reactivated.
Grammer was taken into custody in both cases last week after surrendering in Schwartz's and Bobb's courts, where arrest warrants had been issued for him because of missed court appearances. He later posted $17,500 bail and was released.
Grammer told reporters he was too busy caring for his ailing fiancee to complete the court-ordered drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. He said he missed a May 2 court appearance because he was on a cruise to Mexico.