Omar Sharif Pleads Not Guilty
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Actor Omar Sharif pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he assaulted a valet who refused to accept his European currency.
Sharif, 73, was not required to be in court and his plea was entered through his lawyer. A pretrial hearing was set for Jan. 10.
According to a civil lawsuit filed in October by the valet, Sharif and a female companion were leaving a steakhouse in Beverly Hills on June 11 when the actor became upset that his Porsche SUV was not waiting.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sharif was belligerent and intoxicated and called the valet a "stupid Mexican" when he refused to accept a 20 euro note, the lawsuit claimed.
Juan Anderson, the Guatemalan immigrant who is suing, alleged Sharif then punched him. Anderson is seeking $50,000 in civil penalties, unspecified damages and attorney fees.
Police spokesman Lt. Mitch McCann said Anderson declined medical treatment and had no visible injuries.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One of Sharif's lawyers, Martin Singer, has said the actor didn't hit the valet and was being targeted because he's famous.
In 2003, Sharif was convicted of striking a police officer at a casino near Paris. He received a one-month suspended sentence and a $1,700 fine.
The Egyptian-born actor is best known for roles in "Dr. Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia."