Akon

R&B singer Akon pleaded not guilty today (Dec. 3) in Fishkill, N.Y., to criminal charges filed against him after he threw a fan off the stage at a June concert. The “Sorry, Blame It On Me” singer was released on his own accord following his brief court appearance in the Dutchess County, New York. He was charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment, a violation. As reported here, Akon was charged after a fan said she suffered a concussion when a teenage boy he threw off the stage fell on her during the June 3 concert at the local minor league baseball stadium. The case was adjourned until January. Billboard reports that a town justice told Akon that his lawyer can stand in for him at future court appearances and he does not have to appear. Akon did not comment as he left the courthouse. "It was never Akon's intention to violate the law," the singer's Manhattan lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said in a written statement released to the media. "This unfortunate incident was a spontaneous reaction during a live concert that Akon deeply regrets."