CINCINNATI -- Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge.
The three-year veteran's attorney filed a written plea Friday in Hamilton County Municipal Court.
An employee at a downtown Cincinnati bar told police that Maualuga punched him in the face on Feb. 5. Maualuga and the Bengals have not commented on the charge, which could bring a fine or suspension from the NFL.
It's Maualuga's second court case in two years. He pleaded guilty to drunken driving after police in northern Kentucky said he hit a parking meter and two parked cars in January 2010. The league suspended him for two games for violating its conduct policy.
As a repeat offender, he could be suspended by the NFL for part of next season.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
