Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to new assault charges, two weeks after it was reported he had punched a New York City photographer.
The actor’s attorney entered the not guilty plea and said his client wanted to resolve the matter without a trial, according to the New York Daily News.
“We have very serious issues here,” said the attorney, Alan Abramson. “Mr Baldwin looks forward to his day in court.”
Baldwin was indicted last week on one count of misdemeanor assault and one count of harassment for allegedly punching a freelance photographer in February. Both charges are misdemeanors.
Prosecutors had dropped a much broader felony count of assault related to the altercation, which they alleged he attacked a photographer outside the Manhattan apartment of his then-girlfriend Hilaria Baldwin, who is now expecting their third child.
Baldwin is scheduled to return to court for a second jury trial in September. If convicted, he faces a maximum one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
He is currently starring in the Broadway play Meteor Shower. His personal representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
