Tailgate pot charge dropped against Pa. lawmaker
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A western Pennsylvania lawmaker has been fined $50 plus court costs for disorderly conduct after Pittsburgh police dropped a charge that he smoked marijuana while tailgating last month outside a Pittsburgh Steelers game.
No officers appeared at Democratic state Rep. Paul Costa's brief appearance in Pittsburgh Municipal Court on Wednesday. A police spokeswoman says she couldn't comment on the decision to drop the charge.
Costa's attorney, Phil DiLucente, says the plea bargain is a typical way for the courts to deal with minor marijuana charges, but he refused to describe what was "disorderly" about Costa's behavior on Oct. 3.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DiLucente had previously denied Costa smoked marijuana, saying the lawmaker "detests" the drug.