Foxy Brown Goes To Court And Pleads Not Guilty

NEW YORK (AP) -- Foxy Brown was singing a different tune Tuesday when she showed up in court four days after refusing to appear to face assault charges.

The 28-year-old rapper, who is serving a year at Rikers Island prison for violating probation, arrived at Brooklyn state Supreme Court wearing casual street clothing.

She pleaded not guilty to charges that she threw a cell phone at a neighbor who complained about the volume of her car radio. The plea was entered by her attorney, John Sampson, the district attorney's office said.

Sampson didn't immediately return a call for comment.

Last Friday, Brown twice refused to appear in court for her arraignment. Prosecutors rescheduled her appearance for Tuesday, warning that if she refused to show up, the court would issue an order allowing correction officers to put her in handcuffs and force her onto a bus.

Brown was arrested in the New York City borough of Brooklyn in August and accused of striking Arlene Raymond, 25, after the pair got into a fight July 30 over Brown blasting her car stereo near her home.

She was arraigned on charges of assault, attempted assault, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon - the cell phone.

Justice John Ingram extended Raymond's order of protection to Dec. 18, 2008, and ordered Brown back in court Dec. 17.

Brown is in jail for violating probation - skipping her anger management classes and traveling out of the city without permission - in a Manhattan case involving a fight she had with manicurists in a nail salon three years ago.

The rapper, whose real name is Inga Marchand, has a new album, "Brooklyn's Don Diva," due out next month.