Dawn Wells, who starred as Mary Ann on the television show "Gilligan's
Island," was sentenced to serve six months probation for having marijuana in her
car, US media reported today.
Wells was also sentenced to five days in jail and fined US$410.50 as a result
of her arrest last fall in eastern Idaho.
Wells, 69, founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute and organizer
of the region's annual family movie festival, was stopped on Oct. 18, by Teton
County sheriff's Deputy Joseph Gutierrez after he noticed her swerve and
repeatedly speed up and slow down.
She was driving home at the time after a surprise birthday party.
When asked about the smell of marijuana in the car, Wells said she'd just
given a ride to three hitchhikers and had dropped them off when they began
smoking something.
Gutierrez found half-smoked joints and two small cases used to store
marijuana inside her vehicle. Then she failed a sobriety test, he said.
Wells pleaded guilty as part of a deal last month to one count of reckless
driving.
Wells' lawyer said that a friend of Wells testified that he'd left a small
amount of marijuana in the vehicle after using it that day, and that Wells was
unaware of it.
Under a plea agreement, three misdemeanor counts were
dropped.