Will and Grace has been a hit in the US and UK

Morrison, 66, received a year's probation and was fined $300 (�187) by the Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday.

She was arrested on 23 April for stealing jewellery valued at $446 (�280) from the Robinson-May shop in Los Angeles.

"Clearly, a mistake was made," her lawyer, Donald Etra, told reporters after the hearing on Wednesday.

He said the actress confessed to the mistake and "now she wishes to move forward".

"I think Ms Morrison has certainly learned from this experience. She will never find herself in this situation again," he said.

Morrison faced the lesser misdemeanour charge rather than a felony, which carried a higher maximum penalty, because of the low value of the goods and the fact she had no prior convictions.

The theft was just above the $400 (�250) cut-off for prosecution.

Morrison has played Rosario Salazar McFarland in Will and Grace since 1999.

The comedy about the friendship between gay lawyer Will and straight interior designer Grace, has been a big success in the US and the UK.

In the UK the series is shown on Channel 4.

Morrison is married to writer Walter Dominguez. Her career has spanned four decades and includes appearances in dozens of movies and television shows, including the 1960s show The Flying Nun.