Boy George Gets Drug Case Delay

Tue., Dec. 20, 2005 1:20 PM PST by Julie Keller

Boy George just got a big Christmas present from a New York judge: The "Karma Chameleon" singer's cocaine case has been adjourned until Feb. 1.

The postponement came at the request of both the defense and prosecution Monday. Boy George is currently in his native England, working on record and book projects, per his lawyer.

The 44-year-old former Culture Clubber, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was busted Oct. 7, when he called the police to report an early-morning burglary at his Big Apple apartment.

When the cops arrived, they found a stash of cocaine next to a computer and hauled the 1980s icon to jail. He was later charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree.

Boy George had maintained his innocence throughout the matter, claiming that the drugs were not his and his has no idea how they ended up in his home.

His attorney, Lou Freeman, blames the bust on his client's busy lifestyle and active social life. He told the New York Post in October that Boy George "had a lot of people in his house. A man who has something to hide does not call police."

The singer has battled drug abuse in the past. He was addicted to heroin in the 1980s and was convicted for heroin possession in 1986. He claims he kicked the habit, though, and wrote about it in his 1995 autobiography, Take It Like a Man.

The delay leaves open the possibility for a plea deal in the case. When asked by Criminal Court Judge Patricia Nunez on Monday about the state of affairs, Assistant District Attorney Craig Ortner said he had broached the topic with opposing counsel. But Freeman maintained no formal plea negotiations had yet taken place.

If convicted, Boy George could face a maximum of 15 years in prison.