Steven Page showed up in court yesterday in upstate New York to face felony drug charges. One of the lead singers of Barenaked Ladies, Page was arrested in July while visiting his girlfriend in NY. His girlfriend and another woman were arrested, too, for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (cocaine and pot). Steven is married to Carolyn Ricketts, though they are separated. They
have three sons together: Isaac, 12, Benjamin, 10, and Jonah, 7.
Well, good news for Steven. The felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor and he was given an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, meaning the charges will be totally dropped if he remains trouble-free for the next 6 months.
Steven, 38, apologized to his family and BNL fans after his court appearance:
"I'm grateful...for this opportunity to further prove myself as a productive and law-abiding member of society. I look forward to the next six months as a period of healing and growth.
"It has meant a great deal for me to be shown the impact I have on others' lives. I am deeply moved and thankful. I also apologize to all those I have hurt and embarrassed during this episode. Respect, 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 with hope."
It was Steven's lack of a criminal record that helped the charges get reduced. If he'd been convicted of the original charges, he could have spent up to 5-1/2 years in state prison.
Whew! That was close! I'm a big BNL fan and have seen them in concert 9 times. Straighten up and fly right, Mr. Page. I don't want to have to go to prison to see you sing. Oh, if I had $1,000,000, I'd buy you a green dress, Steve.
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