Willie Nelson Avoids Jail on Drug Charge

Willie Nelson photo courtesy of Lost Highway Records.

April 26, 2007 — Willie Nelson and his tour manager were ordered to pay $1,024 each and were sentenced to six months of probation after pleading guilty to possession of marijuana Tuesday, The Advocate reports.

Willie, tour manager David Anderson, Willie's sister Bobbie, and two tour bus drivers were cited on misdemeanor drug charges in September while traveling on Interstate 10 through St. Martin Parish, La.

State Police investigators said they found marijuana and a small amount of hallucinogenic mushrooms in a search prompted by a "strong odor of marijuana" during a routine inspection of his tour bus.

Sixteenth Judicial District Judge Paul deMahy asked Willie the same questions routine for all guilty pleas, as the singer stood before the judge. Name? "Willie Hugh Nelson." Age? "I was born in 1933." Occupation? "I'm an entertainer." Can you read? "Yes, sir."

The judge also handed down 90-day suspended jail sentences, which could be imposed if the singer or his manager get in legal trouble again during the six months of unsupervised probation. Willie could have faced felony distribution charges because of the large amount of marijuana involved, but prosecutor Chester Cedars said the evidence indicated the marijuana was for personal use.

As part of a plea agreement, the citation against Bobbie Nelson was dismissed, the AP reports. The citations against the two drivers were also dismissed because Cedars said there was no indication they "had anything to do with the contraband."

Word spread quickly that Willie was in the small southern Louisiana town, and a crowd of about 25 fans gathered outside after his brief court appearance. When he emerged, Willie shook hands, signed scraps of paper and posed for photographs. "Thank y'all," he said, waving as he climbed into a waiting car.