Boy George drugs court case postponed

Boy George's court appearance on drugs charges has been adjourned until the new year, according to eecho.ie.

The singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, will not appear in court again until February 1, 2006, at the request of both the defence and prosecution.

Conflicting reports came from the courtroom, with Assistant District Attorny Craig Ortner saying he and O'Dowd's lawyer had held plea negotiations. This was firmly rebuffed by defence lawyer Lewis Freeman.

Freeman said O'Dowd was excused from attendance so that he could work on literary and recording projects in the UK

The flamboyant singer was arrested on October 7 after calling police to report a burglary in his Manhattan apartment. Police said they found a small amount of cocaine next to O'Dowd's computer after arrival. He was later released without bail after his arraignment for cocaine possession.

This is not the first problem O'Dowd has encountered with drugs. He was convicted in the UK in 1986 for heroin possession, with two of his friends overdosing during the arrest.