Willie Nelson pot case plea deal rejected by judge

A proposed plea deal in Willie Nelson's marijuana possession case has been officially rejected by a Texas judge.

The 'On the Road Again' singer was arrested in November 2010 by the US Border Patrol when authorities discovered several ounces of pot on his tour bus.

Nelson had reportedly agreed to plead no contest to a charge of misdemeanour possession of drug paraphernalia as well as pay a $500 (£310) fine and $280 (£173) in court costs, with the presiding judge Becky Dean-Walker initially lodging her agreement.

Judge Dean-Walker has now reversed her decision and will deny the plea agreement, citing a desire to avoid any accusations of favouritism due to Nelson's status as a popular musician.

The justice explained to Reuters: "I'm not going to be guilty of signing something because someone is a celebrity... Everybody should be treated the same in my court."

Nelson's case has now been returned to County Attorney CR Bramblett, who has been tasked with deciding on a harsher punishment for the country singer.

Bramblett has not yet commented on whether he will pursue the matter further or simply drop the case entirely.

Bramblett had previously proposed that the marijuana possession charge could be expunged if Nelson would agree to perform the 1975 hit 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain' before the court, but Judge Dean-Walker quickly dismissed any notion that there would be singing in her courtroom.

Nelson has long been an advocate for the legalization of marijuana in the US, even co-chairing the advisory board of the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Watch Willie Nelson and Shania Twain sing 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain' below: