We have been following on this blog the charges against Rhode Island lawmaker Robert Watson, who was accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and for drug possession in April.

According to sources, the lawmaker's case-which involves charges of DUI and possession of marijuana-is likely headed to trial. According to Watson's attorney, there appears to be no resolution in sight. No trial date has been site as yet though.

The announcement comes nearly three months after Watson's attorney was unable to settle the case with a plea bargain.

Watson was arrested back in April by East Haven police and charged with DUI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after police stopped him at a sobriety checkpoint. Police performed blood testing on Watson, which indicated he had cocaine and marijuana in his blood at the time of the arrest.

Watson denied that he smoked marijuana prior to his arrest, but said he kept some on hand to help him deal with complications from a severe bout of pancreatitis. The incident forced Watson stepped down from his position as the Republican Minority Leader.

Interestingly, shortly after the lawmaker's arrest, the Connecticut legislature raised the threshold on the amount of marijuana needed to charge defendants with a crime. Small amounts are considered infractions, not crimes.

In Connecticut, there a number of options for alternative sentencing in marijuana cases. Among the possible options are drug education, accelerated rehabilitation, community service, and counseling. Most of these options are available on a one-time basis, but they are good alternatives for first time offenders.

Source: boston.com, "RI lawmaker headed to trial on marijuana charge," November 16, 2011.