IT'S REHAB, PROBATION FOR DOWNEY -- NOT JAIL

Ad-boy Actor Robert Downey Jr. Dodged Prison Again Yesterday When He
Pleaded No Contest To Another Round Of Drug Charges And Was Placed On
Probation.

The Emmy-winning "Ally McBeal" star was sentenced to one year of live-in
drug rehab and three years' probation stemming from his November cocaine
arrest at a Palm Springs, Calif., resort.

Downey, 36, who wore a dark suit and spoke sparingly, could face four years
in prison if he violates the terms of the probation deal. Asked whether he
understood the terms of his sentence, Downey told Superior Court Judge
Randall White: "I'm well-aware, Your Honor."

The sentence -- coming a week after Downey was nominated again for his
"Ally McBeal" role -- ends the latest episode in a cycle of arrests, drug
binges and show business accolades for the talented but troubled actor.

Downey was arrested at Merv Griffin's Resort Hotel and Givenchy Spa in Palm
Springs. Authorities allegedly found the cocaine in his hotel room after
receiving an anonymous tip.

After being freed on bail, Downey was arrested yet again in April, this
time in Culver City, Calif., and tests showed he had traces of cocaine in
his system. He was dumped from "Ally McBeal" after that bust, but
prosecutors decided to handle it as a parole violation and didn't charge him.

White warned Downey he shouldn't count on any more breaks. "This is not a
gift of the court," he told Downey. "This is going to be hard work."

Downey's lawyers said the plea deal allows him to take new acting jobs
while in rehab -- but his first priority is recovery. Any jobs Downey does
take have to be cleared by authorities. A spokeswoman for David Kelley
Productions, the studio behind "Ally McBeal," said Downey won't return to
the series.

Defense attorney James Epstein said his client is in good spirits and
grateful that California "is now treating his problem as an illness and not
a crime."

Downey's legal troubles date back to 1996, when he was stopped for speeding
and authorities found cocaine, heroin and a pistol in his vehicle.

A month later he was found passed out in a neighbor's home and was
hospitalized at a substance-abuse treatment center.

Three days later, he was arrested for leaving the center.

In August 1999, Downey was sentenced to three years in prison for violating
his probation by missing scheduled drug tests. He was released a year later
on $5,000 bail.