BUFFALO, N.Y. – The lawyer representing Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee tells The Associated Press he will enter a not guilty plea and file a motion to dismiss harassment charges during his client’s appearance Friday in Buffalo city court.
Attorney Paul Cambria declined further comment in a text sent Thursday to the AP.
A spokesman for the Erie County district attorney’s office said prosecutors would oppose the motion to have the charges dismissed.
The prosecution is scheduled to file a second charge of harassment against Lee, who has been suspended by the Senators. Lee is accused of making lewd comments and rubbing the shoulders of a 19-year-old male shuttle driver in May, when Buffalo was hosting the NHL rookie combine.
The additional charge falls under a separate subsection of the legal code outlining the violation of harassment. It defines harassment as someone who “repeatedly commits acts which alarm or seriously annoy” another person and “serve no legitimate purpose.”
That’s different from the initial charge, which defines harassment as someone striking or making physical contact with another person.
Lee was arrested May 31 after prosecutors say he continued placing his hands on the driver’s shoulders even after being told to stop.
The driver’s attorney, Charles Desmond, told the AP this week he is monitoring the court proceeding to determine whether to file a civil suit against Lee.
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