Willie Nelson's Pot Plea Rejected by Judge

Willie Nelson's pot plea has been rejected by a Texas judge. The plea stems from Willie Nelson's pot possession charge last November.

The country legend was arrested in Texas last year when a Border Patrol agent smelled something suspicious in his tour bus. A search revealed some marijuana, though the amount was not enough for a felony, reports Reuters.

Nelson was charged with a misdemeanor, according to Reuters. And, a creative pot plea agreement was hashed out.

Kit Bramblett, a county attorney, worked out a deal saying that Nelson could plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge in exchange for a $500 fine and $280 in court costs, reports The New York Times.

And, Nelson would need to sing “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” in court.

Strangely enough, Judge Becky Dean-Walker thought that this was preferential treatment, and refused to sign off on the deal. Really? It seems like a routine occurrence to work out marijuana plea agreements with defendants by requesting them to sing in court.

Okay, maybe not.

Nelson’s attorneys thought that the matter would be resolved by June, reports Reuters. Now, it’s up to Bramblett as to whether or not he will let the charges slide, or if he will bring the charges up in another court, reports Reuters.

Plea bargains themselves are fairly common in the criminal legal system. Plea bargains usually involve the defendant and the prosecution coming to an agreement about the charges and the sentences. There are many advantages to having a plea bargain for courts and for attorneys - they can ease the workload of overcrowded courts and for prosecutors, and defendants can save themselves the cost and uncertainty of having to go through a trial.

Unfortunately for Willie Nelson, his pot plea falling apart might mean he may have to go to court. And, Willie Nelson’s pot possession charges may end up being higher - and harsher - than he expected.

Related Resources:

• Willie Nelson pot plea still not hashed out (Reuters)
• Plea Bargains (FindLaw)
• Willie Nelson to Avoid Jail with Misdemeanor Pot Charge (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
• Willie Nelson Facing at Least Six Months in Jail for Pot Bust (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
• “I’ll Never Smoke Weed with Willie Again”(Toby Keith)