Bengals' Rey Maualuga pleads not guilty to assault

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga did not appear in court Friday, but entered written plea of not guilty after he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching a manager at a downtown bar.

Police were called to LUXE at the corner of 6th and Main streets around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 for a report of a fight inside the bar. Officers arrived to find the parties separated and a group of people standing outside the business.

The victim, who identified himself as Sammy Laham, 27, said on Bill Cunningham's radio show on 700 WLW on Feb. 10 that members of the staff approached Maualuga, 25, who was with a group of four or five people and told them it was time to leave since the bar was closing. Laham said he then went over to ask the group to leave. Moments later, according to Laham, someone made a comment then Maualuga took four or five steps and punched him in the face.

Laham suffered a minor laceration to his face and redness to his left cheek below his eye, according to the police report. After he was hit, Laham said, "left leg went back, caught myself. Immediately, I saw black, followed by light. It sounded like a cash register closing."

Laham said Maualuga appeared to be intoxicated when he arrived at the bar around 1:30 a.m. Laham said after he was hit security defused the situation with at least one of them calling police.

According to the police report, Laham said he was punched during a verbal altercation.

However, Joe Braun, the victim's attorney, spoke with several witnesses who also said Maualuga appeared to be intoxicated and hit Laham after their group was asked to leave. All of the witnesses said the victim had no prior contact with Maualuga before he was punched, according to Braun.

Laham, who's not from Cincinnati, said he knew Maualuga was on the Bengals, but did not recognize the other members of his group. He told Mo Egger on his radio show on 1530 Homer that he was later told there other Bengals with Maualuga.

As police were investigating, Laham said Maualuga approached him outside the bar and acted like he wanted to "buddy up." Even though police were on the scene, Laham said he removed himself from the equation.

Laham told Egger that he did not go to the hospital immediately after the incident. However, in the days after the incident, Laham was checked out by a doctor.

Braun told Cunningham he has had "indirect contact" with the Bengals about the situation, but would not elaborate.

Besides the legal ramifications, Maualuga could be hit with a suspension from the NFL. This would be his second violation in two years under the personal conduct policy. In 2010, Maualuga was placed in the league's alcohol substance abuse program following his arrest for drunken driving in Covington.

The Bengals will not comment on the matter while it's under investigation.