Drug charges against Dionne Warwick dropped

The state of Florida dropped a marijuana possession case against Dionne Warwick yesterday after the veteran soul singer completed a programme aimed at giving first-time offenders a second chance.

Warwick, 61, was charged with marijuana possession on May 12 at Miami International Airport when baggage screeners found 11 marijuana cigarettes in her lipstick case.

Because Warwick was a first-time offender, she was allowed to enter a pretrial programme that led to dismissal of the charge, said Ed Griffith, of the state attorney's office.

She had to undergo medical evaluation and donate US$250 ($509) to a programme that supports infants born with the virus that causes Aids. She will also tape a warning to youth about drug abuse.

The five-time Grammy winner is known for hits such as Do You Know the Way to San Jose?, I Say A Little Prayer and That's What Friends Are For. More recently, she has been spokeswoman for the Psychic Friends Network, a business that offers people a chance to chat by phone, for a fee, with a "psychic".

- NZPA