Houston drugs case 'to be dropped'

Whitney Houston - faces a possible term in jail, if convicted

Whitney Houston will have a court prosecution for alleged possession of marijuana dropped, if she meets probation-like conditions, her lawyer has said.

The pop star was charged with possession of the drug when her handbag was seized by an airport security guard in Hawaii last year.

Police reported that the bag contained half an ounce (14 grams) of marijuana.

The singer, who is married to fellow performer Bobby Brown, was facing a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail or a $1,000 (£687) fine, if convicted.

Lawyers from the singer's home state New Jersey appeared on her behalf at a court hearing in Kona, Hawaii, on Thursday.

According to solicitor Brook Hart, Judge Joseph Florendo has agreed to delay acceptance of a no-contest plea on the singer's behalf for the next three months under a process allowed by state law in the US.

If Houston meets certain conditions, which have not been made public, during that time, the case will be erased from her record, said Hart.

In general, to have a case dismissed under this process, a defendant must stay out of legal trouble and abide by restrictions similar to probation.

The celebrity couple's stormy relationship keeps them regularly in the media spotlight.

Houston's husband Bobby Brown recently spent 26 days in a Florida jail after testing positive for cocaine.

He was also in violation of probation terms imposed for a 1996 drunk driving incident.