Our readers may or may not be aware of the music of 26-year-old Bruno Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez. The pop singer and Grammy award winner was cleared of a felony drug charge on Wednesday in Law Vegas after his successful completion of court-ordered drug education classes and community service.
Hernandez was reportedly arrested back in September 2010 after a bathroom attendant at the Hard Rock Hotel in Law Vegas found him to be in possession of a small plastic bag of white powder after a nightclub performance. That substance was later determined to be cocaine.
Hernandez later pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cocaine and admitted to having 2.6 grams of cocaine at the time he was arrested. The charge against Hernandez could have resulted in up to four years in state prison, but prosecutors in the case agreed to dismiss the case if certain conditions were met.
He was fined $2,000 and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service, drug counseling and given one year of informal probation.
According to his attorney y, he actually logged more community service hours than were required. His attorney also said the singer appreciated the fact that he had the opportunity to have the case dismissed.
Felony charges can follow one around and affect many aspects of one’s life and opportunities. When first-time offenders have the opportunity to have charges dismissed, it is usually a welcome option.
Source: Reuters, “Judge clears Bruno Mars of cocaine charge,” Piya Sinha-Roy, January 18, 2012.