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Charlie Sheen's Aspen court tab just went up by 25 bucks

The penalty for Charlie Sheen's misdemeanor assault conviction just got steeper — $25 steeper.

Because the star of “Two and a Half Men” didn't fork over $198.50 in court costs on Monday, when he was sentenced, a one-time fee of $25 was added to it, meaning Sheen now owes a whopping $223.50.

And from the looks of things, once that money is paid, all that may be left for the actor is probation.

I spoke with Chief Deputy District Attorney Arnold Mordkin again this morning and he confirmed that Charlie Sheen could in fact be given credit for time already spent at a rehab center earlier this year to fulfill his sentence for assaulting wife, Brooke Mueller Sheen, during a Christmas vacation in Aspen.

I phoned Mordkin after reading a local report, “DA: No credit for Sheen's previous rehab center stay," in which the prosecutor correctly noted that there is nothing in the court order that mentions Sheen can, should or will be given credit for time served. The order also doesn't say he can't be given credit.

Charlie Sheen blows kisses to the crowd in Aspen Monday.
By Troy Hooper

So, as Mordkin explained, just because the court order doesn't say it, that doesn't mean it can't happen. Mordkin, you see, was not privy to all of the negotiations leading to the plea deal that his boss, Martin Beeson, engaged in with Sheen's attorney, Yale Galanter. He said it is possible that his boss already agreed that Sheen could be given credit for his previous stay at Promises but that Mordkin was unaware of it. What Mordkin is sure about is that it is up to Promises to determine the length of Sheen's stay.

“Ultimately Promises will decide for what period of time Charlie Sheen needs to be a 24-hour-a-day resident, just like jails all over the country decide that,” Mordkin said Wednesday morning.

That's precisely what Galanter told Real Aspen on Monday.

“The sentence will be administered and executed at Promises and the Promises administrators have the authority to give Charlie credit for time already served, or they can shorten his sentence, lengthen it or interpret the order however they choose,” Galanter said.

Two courthouse sources say they believe it is likely Sheen will be given credit for the time he spent at Promises over the winter because he enrolled in the facility as a result of his criminal case in Aspen.

Because rehab centers generally keep the identities of their patients confidential, it may be difficult to determine exactly how long Sheen actually does stay at the center unless an insider leaks the information to the media, or someone in the judicial system finds out what happens and sets the matter straight publicly.

(Other media outlets have also reported Sheen will check into Promises and be immediately released.)

Mordkin also confirmed that any domestic violence counseling that Sheen has already undergone in connection to the case will be credited toward the 36 hours ordered in Judge James Boyd's sentence, so long as the counseling program is certified by the state of California and approved by Aspen's probation department.

Galanter told Real Aspen that Sheen has already been treated by one of the most respected domestic violence counselors in California and that the length of the sessions equaled the required 36 hours.

If the 36 hours of counseling are approved and Promises releases him immediately giving him credit for time served, then aside from following typical court orders — like don't use illegal drugs and don't drink to excess — then all that's really left are Sheen's three months of unsupervised probation ... and that $223.50 bill at Aspen's courthouse.

Carolyn Jemison, the head clerk there, said on Wednesday morning that the actor still hasn't paid but has until Friday at 5 p.m. to do so, or make arrangements for a payment plan. Here's betting that Sheen — who can reportedly make approximately $1.8 million per “Two and a Half Men” episode this season — won't be needing a payment plan.