Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor counts of harassment, disorderly conduct and trespassing in relation to a confrontation in a Chippewa Street bar in late June.
Kane appeared in Buffalo City Court Monday morning, but did not speak. His attorney, Paul Cambria, said a video of the dance floor inside the Bottoms Up bar will help clear his client.
"It shows a lot of activity with a lot of people, but it doesn't show any assaulting conduct or any kind of hurting or anything like that. It's just not there," Cambria said. "I respond to that because there's already been an allegation published and that's the reason I respond to that, but the courtroom is where we go through the details."
Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael Flaherty said his office will treat Kane as any other defendant. If convicted, Kane faces up to 90 days in jail, but Flaherty said that is rare for first-time offenders.
"The four harassment charges and the disorderly conduct charge are violation-level offenses and the trespass charge is a B-misdemeanor offense, which is the lowest level crime we have in New York," he said.
On the day Kane turned himself in to Buffalo Police, investigators explained that there were no injuries reported, thus no more serious charges were filed.
Cambria told reporters he is not seeking to rush this case out of regard for the upcoming hockey season.
Kane was freed on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Buffalo City Court on September 9.
