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Rahim Jaffer leaves the courthouse in Orangeville, Ontario on Tuesday, March 9, 2010. The former Edmonton MP was fined $500 for careless driving after the crown dropped charges of driving over the legal blood-alcohol limit and possession of cocaine.

Former Alberta Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer has pleaded guilty to careless driving.

In agreeing to the plea, the Crown withdrew initial charges of possession of cocaine and excessive blood alcohol while driving.

Crown attorney Marie Balogh told the court the initial charges were dropped because there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.

The judge, Mr. Justice Doug Maund said he could read "between the lines" of the evidence presented to him.

"I'm sure you can recognize a break when you see one" the judge told Mr. Jaffer.

The former MP was sentenced to a $500 fine. He had already agreed to make a $500 charitable donation to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

"I'm sorry. I know this was a serious matter," Mr. Jaffer said afterward outside the court. "I know I should have been more careful and I took full responsibility for my careless driving."

His lawyer, Howard Rubel said: "What Mr. Jaffer did was drive without paying attention to how fast he was going."

The initial drug charge was embarrassing for Mr. Jaffer who had approved campaign ads supporting drug-free schools and getting tough with dealers.

Mr. Jaffer had been intercepted shortly before 1 a.m. on Sept. 10 by the Ontario Provincial Police in the village of Palgrave, 60 kilometres north of Toronto.

Court heard that an OPP officer clocked Mr. Jaffer's driving at 93 kilometres per hour in an area where the speed limit is 50 kilometres per hour.

He was arrested after the officer smelled alcohol and administered a breathalyzer test. The court heard that Mr. Jaffer told the officer he had consumed two beers.

He was initially charged with driving while having more than 80 milligrams in one hundred millilitres of blood, speeding and possession of cocaine.

Ms. Balogh said the new charge was agreed after the prosecution "carefully reviewed" the case.

Once a rising political star, the 38-year-old Mr. Jaffer is married to federal Tory cabinet minister Helena Guergis, the Minister of State for Status of Women.

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