BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) -- A 30-year-old East St. Louis man has been charged with trying to bring crack cocaine into the St. Clair County courthouse.

Joseph Lewis was entering the courthouse to appear for a traffic case yesterday when he set off the metal detector. During a search, deputies found a plastic bag containing crack.

Authorities allege Lewis said he smoked crack earlier in the day because he woke up not feeling well.

He's been charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance. He was being held on $30,000 bail.

A week earlier, another man was charged after trying to bring marijuana into the same courthouse.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)