Pubdate: Fri, 7 May 2010
Source: Jacksonville Daily News (NC)
Copyright: 2010 Jacksonville Daily News
Contact:  http://www.jdnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/216
Author: Ashley McErlean
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Willie+Nelson

WILLIE NELSON'S BAND MEMBERS FINED $25

Three members of Willie Nelson's band cited in January for possession 
of marijuana and moonshine were sentenced Wednesday to a $25 fine.

Thomas Hawkins, Kenneth Koepke and Dudley Prewitt, via their lawyer, 
Sampson County attorney Doug Parsons, pleaded guilty to disorderly 
conduct in a Duplin County court. In exchange, Onslow County District 
Attorney Dewey Hudson dismissed the possession of marijuana charges.

In response to concerns about special treatment, Hudson insisted that 
this case was handled the same as any other would be.

"Disorderly conduct carries the same penalty as possession of 
marijuana," he said. "We tend to do that in cases with no prior 
criminal record and none of those three had a prior record we were 
able to find."

N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agents wrote citations to the band 
members after allegedly smelling marijuana smoke coming from the 
band's van in the parking lot of the Duplin County Events Center in 
Kenansville on Jan. 28. The show scheduled for that night was 
subsequently cancelled.

Although the official reason for the show's cancellation did not 
mention the incident, many of the attendees thought it was a 
contributing factor.

Hudson, who was in Kenansville with his wife for the show, said he 
understood how people felt but that the agents handled the situation 
professionally.

"In those situations where you're going to make half the people mad 
no matter what you do, you do the right thing," he said. "And that's 
what the officers did, and that's what the court system did."

Hudson said the band members were "satisfied with the way they were 
treated by law enforcement and the court system in the state of North 
Carolina."

All of the alcohol charges were dropped after evidence was presented 
showing that the moonshine was already on the tour bus when it was purchased.
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