Ex-Guns N'Roses drummer seeks rehab, and his old job

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler pleaded no contest on Friday to a heroin possession charge in the hopes of avoiding jail time by entering a treatment program, officials said.

Adler, 43, who was fired from the band over drug problems in 1990, also hopes to reunite with his old bandmates, said his attorney, Barry Gerald Sands.

"When he gets sober they'll accept him into the band and then they'll do a comeback album and a world tour, that's the dream of Steven Adler," Sands told Reuters, after an upbeat Adler entered his plea in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A representative from Guns N' Roses could not immediately be reached for comment.

Guns N' Roses on November 23 will release the long awaited album "Chinese Democracy," a project lead singer Axl Rose has shepherded through a revolving cast of musicians for years.

Adler is scheduled to appear in court on December 12 to determine if he is eligible for drug treatment instead of jail.

If Adler enters drug treatment, his misdemeanor charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance will be dismissed, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office said.

Adler was arrested in Los Angeles on July 18, after someone called police to report he was causing a disturbance.

He appeared this year on the reality television show "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" during an earlier attempt to get off drugs.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant)