A judge dropped charges Wednesday against former Hewlett-Packard Co. board Chairwoman Patricia Dunn, who was accused of orchestrating the boardroom spying scandal at the Silicon Valley computer company.

Three other defendants in the case will also avoid jail time after they entered no contest pleas to misdemeanor charges in Santa Clara Superior Court. The charges against former HP ethics chief Kevin Hunsaker, and private investigators Ronald DeLia and Matthew Depante will be dropped in September after they complete 96 hours of community service and make restitution, the judge said.

The pleas were entered by their lawyers at a hearing, and the four defendants did not attend.

H-P employs about 6,000 people in Colorado, many of them in Fort Collins and Loveland.