Darius Rucker likely wants to forget all about his arrest on drug possession charges, and if he completes the terms of his sentence, he can.

Last week, the singer pleaded no contest to a charge of simple possession of a controlled substance.

  • Rucker was arrested in February 2024, but the traffic stop that led to charges took place in February 2023.
  • Rucker was caught with 14 purple pills, a THC pen and a small marijuana joint during a traffic stop in Williamson County, Tenn.
  • The pills were identified as Psilocin, an ingredient in magic mushrooms.

Initially, Rucker was hit with two misdemeanor possession charges, plus a driving with expired tags charge. WSMV-TV in Nashville shares that one possession charge and the driving with expired tags charge were dismissed.

By pleading no contest, Rucker agrees to waive his right for a trial and accept a sentence of 11 months and 29 days probation. If he completes the probation, the charges will be expunged.

Why Was Darius Rucker Arrested?

Rucker was pulled over by a Franklin Police Department officer for a traffic violation, and the officer smelled marijuana from the car. Rucker admitted he'd smoked weed in that vehicle, but not that night (Feb. 19, 2023).

A search produced the pills, pen and blunt. Rucker said his girlfriend at the time gave him the pills, and he didn't know what they were. The cop let him go, and ...

"A year later I got a phone call from a buddy that said, 'I think I just saw an arrest warrant for you,'" he told People in May.

Darius Rucker Booking Photo
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So, he turned himself in and someone paid the $10,500 bond to get him free. He figured someone was trying to make an example out of him, "and they did."

The arrest came amid a flurry of country music encounters with police. Chris Young was arrested in January, with all charges being dropped soon after. Morgan Wallen was arrested in April, with felony charges still active.

After Tuesday's (Sept. 10) court hearing, Rucker's lawyer shared the following statement:

On behalf of Darius, we want to thank the Honorable Judge Tom Taylor, and the District Attorney’s office for the time and care taken in considering the details of this case and its final disposition. In addition, we want to thank and commend the members of the Franklin Police Department and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department for the respectful and professional manner in which they treated Darius during the process. Darius looks forward to working through this probationary period and putting this all behind him.

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