ACTOR FACING JAIL SENTENCE OVER 3RD PROBATION VIOLATION.

Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer

Sasha Mitchell, a former Westlake Village actor who has been farming in Tennessee, was in Ventura Municipal Court on Friday for violating probation on spousal abuse and child endangerment offenses for a third time.

The defense attorney and the county prosecutor each said Mitchell likely will get time in jail, having already served 30-day and 60-day sentences for virtually ignoring court orders to meet with a probation officer and complete counseling.

At issue is whether Judge Bruce Clark will require Mitchell to serve the nine months remaining on the sentence from his September 1995 conviction. The hearing is scheduled to resume in Municipal Court on Monday.

Mitchell, 29, appeared on the situation comedy ``Step by Step'' for five years, ending earlier this year. He also has appeared in kick-boxing movies.

Gilbert Geilim, a Van Nuys defense attorney, said Mitchell, a California native, has been living since June with a Tennessee family and working on their farm.

On Friday, Geilim sought leniency from the judge. Relying on testimony by a Franklin County, Tenn., court administrator, Geilim contends Mitchell left California for Tennessee in June to protect his three young children from his estranged wife.

M. Dwight Hawkersmith testified that Jeanette Mitchell was found to be under the influence of cocaine and left the children with Mitchell to return to California for three weeks in September. He said a judge relied on that information to place the three children in custody of the state of Tennessee in September and subsequently gave Mitchell custody in November.

``It's very simple. Mr. Mitchell left the state of California to go after his wife and children,'' Geilim said. ``He's probably going to get some jail time. What we're trying to do is show that his violating probation and leaving the state of California was justified.''

Mitchell returned to Southern California recently to answer to a warrant for his arrest. He was released from custody on $100,000 bail.

Deputy District Attorney Adam Pearlman said he will argue Monday that Mitchell has clearly violated probation and deserves a significant jail sentence.

The prosecutor said Jeanette Mitchell will testify and answer some of the defense allegations. But he contended the main issue for the court is the probation violation.

``The question is, how should we punish him for this violation,'' Pearlman said.

Last year, Mitchell pleaded no contest to four misdemeanor offenses rather than face trial. The offenses were spousal battery, battery and child endangerment and a second battery offense in connection with two incidents at the couple's Westlake Village home in April 1995.