Houston Cuts Deal On Pot Bust
A marijuana-possession case against Whitney Houston will be dismissed in three months if she meets certain probation-like conditions, a lawyer for the pop music star said.
Honolulu attorney Brook Hart and attorneys from Houston's home state of New Jersey appeared on her behalf at a hearing Thursday in state district court in Kona. Houston was not present.
The petty misdemeanor charge stemmed from a Jan. 11 incident at Keahole-Kona International Airport on Hawaii Island. Houston's handbag was seized by a security guard, and police reported it contained half an ounce of marijuana.
Houston and her husband, Bobby Brown, boarded a flight to San Francisco before police arrived.
Houston faced a possible penalty of 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Judge Joseph Florendo agreed to delay acceptance of a no-contest plea on the singer's behalf until three months from now under a process allowed by state law, Hart said.
If Houston meets certain undisclosed conditions during that time, the case will be erased from her record, Hart said.
In general, to have a case dismissed under this process, a defendant must stay out of legal trouble and abide by other restrictions similar to probation.
Houston, 37, has won six Grammy awards. Her best-known hit is I Will Always Love You from the soundtrack of her 1992 movie, The Bodyguard.
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