Singer avoids jail after fight with his wife at hotel

Mathis Winkler

Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001 | 9:17 a.m.

The lead singer of the alternative rock band Stone Temple Pilots today has been given a chance to undergo private counseling after getting into a fight with his wife at the Hard Rock hotel.

Scott Weiland, 38, has entered a guilty plea on a domestic battery charge, but will have his case dismissed if he has no further problems in the next six months and completes 26 counseling sessions.

Deputy District Attorney Abby Silver said she handled Weiland's case just like any other domestic battery incident that seems difficult to prove without calling the victim to testify.

Weiland's attorney, David Chesnoff, said his client appreciated the deal.

"We didn't want to put his wife through (testifying) and counseling doesn't hurt him," Chesnoff said.

Justice of the Peace Douglas Smith, who greeted the attorneys by saying "Rock On," expressed some concern over whether Weiland would be able to complete counseling while touring with his band. But Chesnoff assured the judge that his client would get treatment.

Weiland was arrested at 2:26 a.m. on Nov. 19 after fighting with his wife in a hotel room. He posted $3,000 bail and was released after a mandatory 12-hour stay at the Clark County Detention Center, which is required in domestic violence arrests.

The singer, who has a history of drug addiction, argued with his wife, Mary, over a prescription he was going to have filled. The couple's 18-month-old son was in the room at the time, according to police reports.

Worried about what might happen if her husband got the drugs, Mary Weiland tried to stop him from leaving by standing in front of the door, the reports said.

Weiland tried to get past his wife and leave the room and began hitting her against a wall and stepped on her, according to police reports.

He has been arrested in other cities on drug-related charges and has spent several months in jail. He married model Mary Fosberg in May 2000 after undergoing drug rehabilitation.

Weiland lives in Los Angeles and did not attend today's hearing. If he does not keep the deal, he faces a $315 fine, 48 hours of community service and 36 more hours in jail and will still have to complete the required counseling, Silver said.