FOXBOROUGH, Mass. � Patrick Chung entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of cocaine possession on Monday, court officials announced.
The Patriots safety's initial court date was scheduled for Aug. 28, but he waived his arraignment. He didn't have to appear in court and was present at Patriots practice. Chung's next court date is a dispositional conference scheduled for Nov. 8 in Belknap County Superior Court in Laconia, N.H.
Chung is facing a felony cocaine charge after police allegedly found the drugs at his home in Meredith, N.H., while responding to a "call for service" on June 25. He was indicted by a grand jury on Aug. 8. Chung is facing a Class B felony, which in New Hampshire is a potential prison sentence of 3-to-7 years. The charges can also result in fines and probation.
The veteran returned to practice this week, on Sunday, after missing last week's last practice. Chung was also not present at the Patriots preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Aside from getting in trouble with the law, Chung could be facing disciplinary action from the NFL. The league, however, will wait for this case to finish before deciding what to do. That makes it likely Chung won't be suspended this season.
