Columbia PicturesIt was a night of drinking Vinnie Jones could've done without.
An attorney for the X-Men star pleaded not guilty on his client's behalf today to assault charges resulting from a rumble at a local bar earlier this month in South Dakota, E! News has learned.
Per a spokeswoman for the Minnehaha County Circuit Court in Sioux Falls, the 43-year-old Jones was not required to appear before the judge to answer to a misdemeanor count of simple assault stemming from his Dec. 5 arrest at Wiley's, an area watering hole.
The former footballer-turned-Hollywood tough guy, who got his start in the Guy Ritchie-helmed gangster comedies Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch and who played the villainous Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand, stands accused of head butting a patron after he was hit in the face with a beer mug.
The incident started after the two reportedly got into a tussle over a pool game; Jones' alleged assailant was charged with felony assault and remains in lock up.
A lawyer for Jones could not be reached for comment. If convicted, the actor could face a year in the slammer.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 21.