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Houston Pleads No Contest to Hawaii Pot Charges
by Mark Armstrong


Looks like Whitney Houston's Hawaiian pot bust is just a few charitable donations away from getting wiped clean.

Lawyers for the pop diva pleaded no contest Thursday to a marijuana possession charge stemming from her January run-in with Hawaiian airport security, who allegedly found half an ounce of pot in her carry-on bag.

Kona District Court Judge Joseph Florendo ruled that Houston, 37, may have the case dismissed and her record cleared of the petty misdemeanor in three months, if she agrees to several probation-type conditions. She did not appear in court Thursday, but Honolulu attorney Brook Hart and New Jersey lawyer Bryan Blaney entered the plea in her place.

Among the conditions: Houston must make a $1,000 contribution to the Hawaii State General Fund; a $25 contribution to the Criminal Victim's Compensation Fund and--in place of community service--a $3,000 donation to a youth-oriented anti-drug program, Big Island Wave Riders Against Drugs.

Houston also must stay out of legal trouble and submit to drug testing or evaluation, if necessary. Florendo ruled that because the Grammy-winning singer has no prior criminal record, she appeared to qualify under a Hawaii statute that gives her the chance to clear her record. She initially faced up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

"Ms. Houston is very pleased with the outcome in that the charges will soon be dismissed," Louis Copeland Jr., one of Houston's lawyers, tells E! Online.

Copeland says Houston also voluntarily submitted to a drug test this week, "and the results came back as we expected--negative. She voluntarily did this on her own prior to us going to court, just to show and prove there are no problems."

Houston was stopped January 11 at Keahole-Kona International Airport, when security guards searched her bag and allegedly found marijuana in two plastic baggies and three partially smoked joints. But Houston and hubby Bobby Brown hopped on their flight to San Francisco before police arrived.

It was, however, the Hawaii incident that sparked a tabloid-fueled frenzy over Houston's state of health earlier this year. The pot bust--followed by a series of strange incidents and a no-show at the Oscars--led some to speculate that Houston was battling a drug problem.

Just this week, singer and former drug addict Natalie Cole offered her own advice to Houston, telling Access Hollywood, "I think she is isolated and it's going to take a small miracle to be able to cut through some of this stuff.

"I guess [that is] kind of protecting her with good intentions, but she needs to be saved. The only thing I always say to Whitney is, 'Call me. You know my number.'"

In a statement released Friday, the Hawaii County Prosecutor's Office said it's "satisfied" with the outcome. The Kona court was closed Thursday due to storms and flooding in the area, but Deputy Prosecutor Mel Fujino says the court made an exception for Houston's lawyer because he flew in from New Jersey for the proceedings.

NEWSFILE: 4 NOVEMBER 2000
 

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