March 7, 2009 - PHOENIX -- Former NBA star Charles Barkley has begun serving a three-day sentence on a drunken driving charge. Maricopa County sheriff's Deputy Lindsey Smith said Barkley reported to Tent City on Saturday morning. She did not respond to further requests for information. It's unclear whether Barkley is being housed separately from other inmates in the tents.
The 45-year-old basketball great pleaded guilty last month to two misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from his Dec. 31 arrest shortly after leaving a Scottsdale nightclub and failing a field sobriety test. A message left with Barkley's attorney was not immediately returned Saturday morning. Barkley said last month that he made a mistake and just has "to take the beatdown."
