'Gilligan's' Mary Ann Caught With Dope

DRIGGS, Idaho — Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," is serving six months' unsupervised probation after allegedly being caught with marijuana in her car.

She was sentenced Feb. 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving.

Under a plea agreement, three misdemeanor counts _ driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance _ were dropped.

On Oct. 18, Teton County sheriff's Deputy Joseph Gutierrez arrested Wells as she was driving home from a surprise birthday party that was held for her. According to the sheriff's office report, Gutierrez pulled Wells over after noticing her swerve and repeatedly speed up and slow down. When Gutierrez asked about a marijuana smell, 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.

The 69-year-old Wells, founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute and organizer of the region's annual family movie festival called the Spud Fest, then failed a sobriety test.

Wells' lawyer, Ron Swafford, 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. Swafford also said several witnesses were prepared to testify that Wells had very little to drink at the party and was not intoxicated when she left. He said she was swerving on the road because she was trying to find the heater controls in her new car.

Comments

[MsLiz]

Hey, I am all for legalizing pot. So many problems could be ameliorated by legalization.

Please note that this conviction was for reckless driving, not pot possession and not DUI. Her lawyer did good.

[Virago55]

I don't care if someone likes to get stoned or drink - just don't do it and then decide to get behind the wheel and take the risk of killing or hurting someone or yourself.

I feel so old now knowing that she's 69 and Tina Louise is like 75 for gawd sakes. Where has the time gone?!

People you better start living now, because time is flying by...

[Driver125]

From the I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT dept.--
Well, it might seem unbelievable to some, but everybody should have some sort of plan for the day when they have you in there for a mug shot. Just what sort of demeanor do you want to try to convey by your picture? Innocent? Natch! Cheerfully confident that everything will be reversed? Of course. Not stoned? See Dawn Wells. If you have not planed ahead of time it's almost always too late when the real moment arrives to try and compose yourself into something presentable. Witness Nick Nolte! And since this might be something that could follow you around for most of your life it would be wise to plan ahead!

[Metacortex]

Well, at least she wasn't linked to a prostitution ring, lol.

[dougkeenan]

Another American treasure: pot smoking GILF's !

[WilliePilgrim]

Why do drugs ruin people's lives? Because our leadership is so stupid it can't recognize reality outside of what they're told by both those in the pulpit and those in the mob, both of whom have too much influence over the process by which we choose our representatives.

[GeologyRocks]

One witnesses also testified that she was proficient at fabricating bongs and hash pipes out of coconut shells.

[MikeDu]

I vaguely recall some years ago when Bob Denver got into his legal problems surrounding pot 'MaryAnn' was somehow involved back then too.

[londubh]

I'll be very disappointed if I read that the Professor was busted for running a Meth Lab he made from coconuts.

[CountryBeforeParty]

And another violent criminal is off the streets...

I feel so much safer all ready.

[VOTER]

When should we expect to see her on the Bill Maher show on HBO?

[mrcontinental]

This is ridiculous. She could have had tons of "prescription drugs" which are far more addictive and dangerous and walked.

Should we call her Mary Jane now?

[rcampbell]

Good on ya, Dawn. One poster got it right about her living in Idaho, the home state of the Neanderthal Nation.

[edresearcher]

No wonder they could never get off that island! Honestly, if drugs are so bad, why is alcohol legal? Why this war on drugs but no mention of alcohol? Why are multiple DWIs tolerated? Why are so many lives destroyed by alcohol each year? I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that those who make the laws and those who are politically connected are also big abusers of alcohol. It would make more sense to legalize drugs but to crack down on behaviors such as driving while under the influence and domestic violence.

[rwferr]

Marijuana can never be legalized because it is the lynchpin of the drug war. 90 percent of the drug war's so called busts are for simple possession. Take away 90 percent of their "drug" convictions and they have a huge budget and no results. As such they must keep pot illegal to justify the huge expenditures for the drug war and for the prison, guards, prosecutors, cops and associated support industries. Marijuana prohibition is keep hundreds of thousands if not millions employed. Its a total crock and we the tax payers pay for it all.