Downey denies drugs charges

Troubled actor Robert Downey Junior today pleaded not guilty to possessing drugs when he appeared in court in California.

The former Ally McBeal star, who was sacked from the series when he was arrested in a 40 dollars-a-night motel last month allegedly in possession of drugs, was freed on bail until his next court appearance.

Downey, wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red-and-white striped tie, said nothing during the hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes.

He faces up to four years in prison if found guilty of possessing cocaine.

He is currently on parole after being freed last August after serving 12 months of a three-year sentence for drug possession.

Downey played Calista Flockhart’s boyfriend in the hit series, but was sacked with just two episodes of the series to go following his arrest.

Today he was released on bail until July 16 after his legal team entered a not guilty plea at a court in Indio, California.

He was arrested in November when police allegedly found Valium and cocaine in his hotel room in the desert resort of Palm Springs.

But Downey’s legal team are challenging the validity of the search and claim the cocaine and Valium which were found are inadmissible as evidence.

He was arrested again last month in a motel near Los Angeles allegedly in possession of drugs but the arrest is being treated by prosecutors as a violation of his parole conditions.

They are likely to order him to be confined in a high-security rehabilitation centre for at least six months to be treated for his addiction.

The 36-year-old actor’s troubles began in 1996 when he was stopped for speeding and police found a gun, cocaine and heroin in his car.

A month later he was found passed out in a neighbour’s home and was sent to a substance abuse treatment centre but three days later was arrested for leaving the centre.

In August 1999, Downey was sentenced to three years in prison for violating his probation.