DENVER PLEADS NO CONTEST (Headline by newshawk)

PRINCETON, W.Va. (AP) -- Bob Denver, who played the title character on
``Gilligan's Island,'' made a surprise appearance at the courthouse and
pleaded no contest to possessing marijuana.

Denver's plea agreement means he won't have to stand trial Sept. 3 on the
misdemeanor charge, which accused him of possessing about 1.5 ounces of
marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Denver was placed on six months' unsupervised probation.

``It's not uncommon for people to come in and plead early,'' Mercer County
prosecutor Tom Bogges said Thursday. ``A lot of people want to get these
things off their back.''

Denver, who entered his plea last week, declined comment Thursday.

Police arrested him June 4 after being tipped that a package containing
marijuana was sent by a delivery service to his Princeton home.

Denver played the beatnik best friend Maynard G. Krebs on television's
``The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' from 1959 to 1963 and starred on
``Gilligan's Island'' from 1964 to 1967.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan