Dourdan Cops to Drug Felonies, Avoids Jail

Former CSI star pleads guilty to two of his three counts of drug possession, thereby avoiding jail time

For Gary Dourdan, two out of three ain't bad. Of course, it's not really all that good, either...

The recently killed-off CSI player pleaded guilty to two of his three counts of felony drug possession in Indio, Calif., this morning, stemming from his early morning bust in Palm Springs last month.

The actor copped to one count each of cocaine and Ecstasy possession during today's arraignment; a third charge of heroin possession was dismissed.

Although he could have faced up to three years and eight months behind bars, in exchange for his plea Dourdan will not serve any time but instead has until Nov. 20, 2009, to complete a series of drug-education courses as part of the court's diversion program.

"As a result of today's proceedings, Gary has been given diversion," his attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, said outside the courthouse. "He very much regrets what happened, and he's very embarrassed by what occurred, but he's looking forward to moving on and getting back to work.

"He is very grateful to the court for being understanding and giving him an opportunity to resolve the issue and move forward."

Should Dourdan successfully complete the program, his convictions may be dismissed.

"Gary was given diversion, which means that both charges will be dismissed as soon as he completes 30 hours of classes," Holley told E! News.

Riverside District Attorney spokeswoman Ingrid Wyatt also told E! News that the actor will be required to pay a small fee as part of his restitution.

Dourdan was present for the morning hearing, though he did not speak to reporters on his way in or out of the courtroom. He did, however, don a navy blue suit for the occasion and flashed a peace sign on his way out of the building and into his Lincoln Town Car.

The 41-year-old was busted on April 28, when cops found his car parked on the wrong side of the street and the actor asleep at the wheel. A search of his vehicle yielded the drugs and after being released on $5,000 bail, the actor initially claimed the drugs weren't his and said he was "embarrassed" over the situation.

Dourdan's Warrick Brown was slain on the CSI season finale last week. The actor opted not to return for a new season after failing to reach a new contract with producers.