OLIVER STONE PLEADS NO CONTEST TO MARIJUANA CHARGE

Los Angeles -- Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone pleaded no contest to a
misdemeanour 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 misdemeanour 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.