Edmund Leather told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

He added it also amounted to a guilty plea in America, resulting in a ban from the country.

Mr. Leather was speaking in the wake of last week's hearing in Miami involving Bermuda's seven Under-23 soccer players.

The players, Meshach Wade, Herbert Dillas, Shawn Riley, Keishon Smith, Donnie Charles, Kevin Jennings, and Tokia Russell, a juvenile, had originally denied possessing marijuana.

But they changed their plea to one of "no contest'' (nolo contendere) under a deal between prosecution and defence lawyers.

It was also agreed an adjudication of guilt was withheld, and that the 11 days the six adult players spent in a pre-trial detention centre be considered a sufficient sentence.

In addition, the prosecution promised to file no other charges against the six. After the hearing, Miami's Assistant State Attorney Mr. David Weinstein said the players now had a record.

He added for immigration purposes an "adjudication of guilty being withheld'' amounted to a conviction.

Mr. Weinstein's comments appeared to conflict with those of the players' lawyer Mr. H.T. Smith, who said: "The families hired me to keep these young men out of jail and keep their record clean. I did that -- that is a victory.'' Mr. Leather's position, however, mirrored that of Mr. Weinstein.

Said Mr. Leather: "Under US law a nolo contendere plea is the same as a guilty plea and goes down in the records that way.'' In such circumstances a person pleading "no contest'' can expect to be banned from America -- a punishment many people refer to as being placed on the US Stop List.

He or she would need a waiver for entry to the country, added Mr. Leather.

Mr. Leather pointed out his comments were not specifically related to the seven Under-23 soccer players. They merely outlined policy.

Nevertheless, Mr. Leather said he would expect the players to face a ban from America. He said that if the players wanted to go to a third country but were forced to go through the United States to get there, he would have to check what the court said before issuing a visa.

Mr. Leather said all drug charges were treated very seriously in America, whatever the amount involved.

Any such allegations could lead to a ban from the country.