Philippine superstar Nora Aunor pleaded guilty Wednesday (March 29) to possession of controlled substance and was sentenced to “18 months of deferred entry of judgment,” according to a clerk of court of the Superior Court of Los Angeles in California.

Angie Kausman, clerk of court of the office of Judge James Brandlin, told the Journal Group Limited in an exclusive phone interview that Judge Brandlin also ordered Ms. Aunor to pay a fine of $250. She has “until October 1, 2007" to ma! ke the payment.

Assistant District Attorney Marguerite F. Rizzo told this reporter that Ms. Aunor, whose real name is Nora Cabaltera Villamayor, was eligible to take part in a drug program. But she had a choice to whether to make a guilty plea or not.
But at the court hearing Wednesday, Ms. Aunor “chose to enter a guilty plea but the judgment is deferred or not entered" until the 18th month from the date the plea was made or on Oct. 1, 2007.
During those 18 months, Rizzo said, Ms. Aunor still needs to attend some kind of a program and she has to report to a probation officer.
If the probation officer reports to the court that Ms. Aunor did not comply with her program then the judge will review the order.
If Ms. Aunor complies with the 18 month program, then the case against her will be dismissed.
“Ms. Aunor was warne! d of all the possible consequences of her plea during the hearing," Ms. Rizzo said, adding that “under this arrangement, she can travel and she is more flexible than the previous program."
Ms. Aunor was represented at the court hearing by her lawyer, Sherwin C. Edelberg while the government was represented by Attorney Rizzo.
The court order means that Ms. Aunor does not need to attend any more drug program, Ms. Kausman explained.
According to Ms. Aunor’s lawyer, Claire Espina, Nora was granted delistment from Drug Court on March 16, 2005 (at defense motion) and she was entered into the Deferred Entry of Judgment program under the Diversion Statute PC 1000 on March 29, 2006 (again at Defense Motion).  
The plea of guilty under “People v. West” was received by the court but not entered into judgment (hence the term Deferred Entry of Judgment).  
“The result of this is very similar to Drug Court. It means the matter is stayed pending 18 months at which time if there are no other arrests, the plea is withdrawn, as if never made, there is no record of conviction, and the case is dismissed, and arrest stricken from the record.  The difference between the two programs is that Drug Court requires no plea be entered while Diversion does, plus, Drug Court requires random drug testing and Diversion does not."
Ms. Espina said, Nora was granted full credit for all the group sessions she attended in the Drug Court program and is  not required to attend any more sessions from hereon.  She also passed in excess of 40 drug tests while under Drug Court and is no longer required to undergo any drug testing from hereon.  
She will need to return to court in October 2007 for the closure of the case unless defense makes a motion for early termination which we may decide to make prior to October 2007.
Ms. Espina said, “Nora has a full schedule of concerts for the summer including one in Boston which contract I am presently working on.  
“In addition, she is also filming commercials and teleseries.  She would have wanted to remain in Drug Court. But at the recommendation of her attorneys, given the visa requirements that she travel - which was being hindered by the intensive nearly daily activities in Drug Court, after four months, we decided to switch her to a different program and mercifully, she qualifies for all."
Espina added that during the period of time Nora was in Drug Court she was in full compliance with all terms and conditions and she so intends to remain in the same manner with the Diversion program.
Earlier, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bernard Kamins had granted a motion by Aunor’s attorney to let her leave drug court.
Judge Kamins scheduled a March 29 hearing before another judge so she can enter a drug diversion program.
Ms. Aunor’s guilty plea comes nearly a year after she was arrested for possession of eight grams of methamphetamine (commonly known as shabu) and a glass of pipe in her carry-on bag at the Los Angeles International Airport while she was on a domestic plight to Oakland, California. She was arrested on March 30, 2005.
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)