Oscar-winning director pleads no contest to marijuana charge

Thursday, August 11th 2005, 11:45 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor possession of marijuana while driving charge stemming from a police checkpoint stop, officials said.

Stone's attorney entered the plea for his client Wednesday in Beverly Hills Superior Court, said Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. The director, who won Oscars for ``Platoon'' and ``Born on the Fourth of July,'' was not in court.

Stone, 58, was arrested at a drunk driving checkpoint on May 27. He paid a $100 fine and court assessments, a court representative said.

In 1999, Stone pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge and driving under the influence.

His next project is a film about a pair of police officers rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Nicolas Cage has signed on to star in the production.