(AP) - Bernard Kerik, the former New YorkCity police commissioner and one-time candidate for HomelandSecurity chief, was freed from jail Tuesday for the holidays toawait sentencing on federal crimes.

Kerik, who pleaded guilty last week to eight felonies, wasreleased on $1.5 million bond by federal Judge Stephen Robinsonafter the former top cop spent three weeks in jail.

He is expected to receive a prison term of about 2½ years at hissentencing in February for crimes including lying to the WhiteHouse when he was being considered for the federal security post.

Before releasing Kerik, the judge warned him that by leavingprison for three months, he was just postponing the inevitable.

"It's a mortal lock that there will be jail time at the end ofthis," Robinson said.

Before the court session, Kerik, 54, chatted breezily with hislawyers. His wife, Hala Matli, was in the gallery. Afterward, hestrode down the steps of the federal courthouse, looking straightahead and ignoring questions from news reporters. He got into awaiting Ford Suburban and left for his $2.5 million home inFranklin Lakes, N.J.

During the three months, Kerik is to remain at home and wear anelectronic monitoring device. He will be allowed to visit hislawyers, his church, and a hospital emergency room, if necessary.He will be permitted to meet with accountants who are repairingKerik's fraudulent tax returns. But the judge refused Kerik'srequest to let him walk his children to school.