William Beall, 65, was convicted in Sonoma County Superior Court Dec. 16 of his 19th DUI offense that occurred July 15 in Santa Rosa.
Visiting Alameda County Superior Court Judge Julie Conger sentenced him to a suspended 3-year prison term, six months in the county jail, and five years probation.
Beall was not taken into custody and the judge allowed him to begin serving his six-month term on Jan. 21 over the objections of the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.
The terms of his probation prohibited him from drinking and having alcohol in his home.
As part of countywide DUI task force, Santa Rosa police and the county probation department conducted a probation compliance check on Beal at his residence on Dec. 18.
They allegedly found three small bottles of liquor and an unopened bottle of wine in his refrigerator and arrested him for violating his probation. Beall remains in jail without a set bail until his hearing on Monday.
Beall told the Sonoma County Probation Department he remained sober for eight years before his DUI arrest in July. He said he has suffered from health problems and financial hardship since his 32-year real estate business "took a hit" during the recent economic recession.
The probation department had recommended Beall be sentenced to a 2-year prison term on Dec. 16 for his 19th DUI.
The probation department also noted Beall had six alcohol offenses that did not result in convictions between 1980 and 1988.
Beall's probation violation hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Monday in Sonoma County Superior Court.
