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quote:
Courtney Love Sentenced To Rehab
07.28.2004
Courtney Love appears in court on Tuesday
Courtney Love was sentenced to mandatory rehab on Tuesday, resolving one of the four criminal cases against her.
After surrendering on Friday, the singer made her first public appearance in a Los Angeles courtroom since a warrant was issued for her arrest on July 9. She was hospitalized later that day (see "Courtney Love Hospitalized After Missing Court Date").
Judge Patricia Schnegg ordered Love to enroll in a court-approved rehab program for a term of at least six months, as part of a plea agreement negotiated in May for changing her plea to guilty to a misdemeanor charge of being under the influence of cocaine and opiates, stemming from an incident last October (see "Courtney Love Rushed To Hospital For Drug OD Following Arrest"). Love must enroll in the program by October 29.
She will also be on probation for 36 months, though Deputy City Attorney Jerry Baik said that Love can petition the court to dismiss the case after 18 months. If she completes the program successfully and abides by the terms of her probation, the conviction will be removed from her record. "We believe that this was the ultimate, the best outcome for her personally, as well as what we were looking for in this particular [case]," Baik said.
During Love's probation, she'll be required to submit to random drug testing and undergo substance-abuse counseling. She'll be permitted to travel, but will be barred from taking non-prescription drugs, drinking alcohol, or being in places that serve alcohol, except for work-related engagements.
"Well, let's see, America. Can I stop taking pills?" Love asked reporters outside the courthouse, noting that she has been in rehab since returning to California late last week. "I've got to stop drinking. This is funny. I mean, it's not funny at all. It's profound. It's deep. But I wanted to know if you think I can do it. I think I can do it. Can you do it? Can we all do it? OK."
Love also told reporters that she had been unaware that she was considered a fugitive for failing to show up for her arraignment on July 9.
"Do you guys think that maybe these court dates are a little much?" she asked. "It's kind of a lot to juggle."
Love's lawyer Michael Rosenstein told reporters outside the courthouse that the singer has been undergoing drug treatment in Connecticut since after her hospitalization in New York. He said she began drug rehab during that hospital stay and was relocated to continue treatment. She also underwent a stint in rehab last November.
"She's been working with these issues for quite some time, before it was imposed by the court," Rosenstein said. "Now, there's been court imposition of drug rehabilitation, and I feel confident with the Courtney that was before us today, having the three, four weeks of sobriety, and being on top of things. Let there be no mistake "” she's in treatment currently and she's sober currently and will continue to be."
Love is due back in court on Thursday to face separate charges of felony drug possession. She's also scheduled to be arraigned on August 20 for yet another charge, felony assault with a deadly weapon, and she's due back in court in New York on September 7 for assault and reckless-endangerment charges.
Love's tour, which had been postponed due to her legal troubles, is scheduled to resume on August 1 in Fiji, Japan.
"”Jennifer Vineyard