The appearance of former Edmonton MP Rahim Jaffer in Orangeville provincial court has been put over to Dec. 10 on his charges of driving with over the limit of alcohol in his blood and of possession of cocaine.

Mr. Jaffer was initially stopped by Caledon OPP for excessive speed in Palgrave on Sept. 11.

It will be the third scheduled appearance for the husband of federal Conservative cabinet minister Helena Guergis, the MP for Simcoe-Grey. So far, he has not been personally present but has been represented in court by Melissa Azevedo, a lawyer from the Toronto firm of Heller Rubel.

In other court matters, a date was to have been set for the beginning of the Superior Court trial of Kenneth Allen Docherty on his second-degree murder charge Monday but that, too, was put over to Dec. 9.

The change in Mr. Docherty's case resulted from his recent indictment on two charges of extortion. A third such charge was withdrawn at the preliminary hearing.

Mr. Docherty had been charged with the death of Kleinburg resident Tyson Weber in Orangeville on May 29, 2008, and has remained in custody since his arrest. He was committed for trial in Superior Court in March 2009 by Ontario Court Justice Paul Currie, and has elected for trial by judge and jury.

The Dec. 9 appearance is likely to set a date for a new trial, this time to include all three charges he faces. Mr. Docherty is represented by Orangeville lawyer Carrie-Anne Bellan.