Aaron Sorkin, the West Wing writer arrested for possessing drugs last year, has had the charges quashed after completing a rehabilitation course.

Sorkin was arrested at the Burbank Airport near Los Angeles on 15 April 2001 after security officers found small amounts of rock cocaine, marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms in his bag.

Sorkin faced the possibility of nearly four years in jail over the charges

But the city's Superior Court Commissioner Kirkland R Nyby dismissed the case against the 41-year-old writer after Mr Sorkin completed a rehabilitation course.

The writer had admitted guilt to two felony charges for the cocaine and mushrooms, and one misdemeanour for the marijuana.

He was forced to complete the course or face a $10,000 (�7,000) fine and 44 months in jail.

He had originally pleaded innocent to the charges.

'Straight'

Mr Sorkin was not in court, his lawyer Steve Sitkoff saying the writer was busy working on a new series of the political drama show.

"He can stand straight in his life now," Mr Sitkoff said. "For the first time in a long time he feels good about himself."

Mr Sorkin did not suffer any disciplinary procedures from the makers of the show while he was facing the charges.

The West Wing is one of the most acclaimed TV series in US history, and won a record nine Emmys at the 2000 awards.

The show stars Martin Sheen as a Democrat president of the US.

In July 2000 , Mr Sorkin signed a $15m (�10m) four-year contract with Warner Bros.

It is the first time he has signed an exclusive contract with a TV company.

Prior to The West Wing, he wrote the film scripts for A Few Good Men and The American President.