Steven Page Gets Off

If Steven Page stays out of trouble for six months, drug charges against him will be completely dismissed.

Page had his felony drug charges reduced to a misdemeanor in a Fayetteville, N.Y. court on Tuesday in an "adjournment in contemplation of dismissal." Judge Thomas Morgan told the Barenaked Ladies singer that if he stays clean for six months, gets drug treatment and passes drug tests, all charges against him will be dropped.

"The respect and responsibility I have earned over the course of my life and my career thus far are important to me and I am moving forward from this with gratitude and hope," Page said in a statement to the media after his hearing. "I also apologize to all of those I have hurt or embarrassed during this episode."

The reduced sentence and possible dismissal of charges were also extended to Page's girlfriend, Christine Benedicto, and her roommate, Stephanie Ford. The agreement came after "extensive negotiations" between the Onondaga County District Attorney's office and lawyers for Page, Benedicto and Ford.

Both Ford and Benedicto were arrested with Page in July after police found cocaine in a Fayetteville, N.Y. apartment where Page was staying. All three were charged of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Page pleaded not guilty.

In a police statement which was filed in court, Ford said she and Page had snorted what she thought was cocaine using a Canadian bill. According to another court document, Page told police the substance was cocaine.

Page's lawyer, Mark Mahoney, said the plea deal was reached because the three accused had clean records and that a chemical analysis of the suspected drugs showed "low quantity and low quality," even though court documents showed that Page possessed more than a quarter-ounce of cocaine when he was arrested.

Onondaga County district attorney William Fitzpatrick said the lab analysis revealed the amount of cocaine was too low for a felony charge and that police had weighed more than the actual drug at the time of the bust. He added that Page admitted that he had a problem and had already begun therapy.

Page's arrest forced the Barenaked Ladies to cancel a planned children's benefit concert in New York. The 38-year-old will now be allowed to enter the U.S. with his working papers on a parole status, which will be wiped out if all goes well over the next six months.

BNL have a string of holiday and children's concerts in Toronto and Ottawa in December. You can see them here:

Dec. 6 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall (2 p.m. children's show)
Dec. 6-7 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall (8 p.m.)
Dec. 13 Ottawa, ON @ Southam Hall at National Arts Centre (2 p.m. children's show)
Dec. 13 Ottawa, ON @ Southam Hall at National Arts Centre (8 p.m.)