Drug charges against Caleb Moore, the son of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, were dropped several months ago after he agreed to enter a pre-trial diversion program with the Pike County District Attorney's Office, court records show.

Moore in January had pleaded not guilty and waived arraignment on charges in an indictment for unlawful possession of a controlled substance (alprazolam), a felony, and possession of marijuana second degree, a misdemeanor.

Moore's jury trial had been set for March 2 before Circuit Judge Jeffery W. Kelley, according to court records. But court records show that on Feb. 1 the charges were nolle prossed - or dropped - after Caleb Moore enrolled in a pretrial diversion program of the district attorney, according to an order from Kelley.

Pre-trial diversion programs are not unusual and generally require a non-violent offender to undergo, with supervision, certain drug treatment programs in order to have their charges dismissed.

Pike County District Attorney Tom Anderson, in an email to Al.com, explained their decision to place Moore into pre-trial diversion.

"As Mr. Moore's case proceeded through grand jury, the discovery process and trial preparation, it was determined that this constructive possession case would be difficult to successfully prosecute to (a) guilty verdict," Anderson wrote. "Due to the fact that four persons were present with Mr. Moore at the time and location of arrest, the controlled substance being in the console of a vehicle not owned or driven by him and additional circumstances ascertained during trial preparation, it became evident that disposition short of jury trial was likely necessary."

"After careful consideration by myself and another Assistant District Attorney, Mr. Moore was authorized to be admitted into a Pretrial Diversion Program with the attendant requirement of rehabilitative treatment and frequent drug testing," Anderson stated.

Caleb Moore entered the program several months ago, Anderson said. "At present, unless terms thereof become violated, there is no present intention to re-file this matter with the court as pending," he stated.

Birmingham attorneys Richard Jaffe and Michael Whisonant Jr., who represented Moore at the time of the pre-trial diversion order, had not yet responded to a request for comment prior to publication of this story.

Moore, 25, had been arrest on March 15 in Troy and was later indicted on the charges.

According to court documents, officers responded to the 1200 block of Allen Street in Troy to a report of an attempted home break-in. They found five men, including Moore, outside near a pickup truck that smelled strongly of marijuana.

It isn't the first time Caleb Moore has been sent to a program after a drug-related arrest.

In March 2013, Moore pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug paraphernalia charge in St. Clair County and was sentenced to probation. He was given a three-month suspended sentence and told to spend a year at Canaan Land Ministries, a Christian prison-alternative program that offers a one-year rehabilitation process.

On Oct. 21, 2013, an order was filed saying he had tested positive for marijuana, amphetamines and Benzodiazape, a psychoactive muscle relaxant drug category that includes Xanax. But on Dec. 26, 2013, Judge Phil Seay filed an order saying Moore had complied with the conditions of his sentence and his probation was ended.

In 2011, he was arrested and charged with drug possession and driving under the influence in Crenshaw County. He applied to be treated as a youthful offender. He apparently was granted youthful offender status because the case does not appear in the state's online court system. When a person is granted youthful offender, the court records are sealed and not public.

Updated at 2:45 p.m. April 27, 2016 with comments from district attorney