Actress Amanda Bynes pleads not guilty to DUI

Actress Amanda Bynes pleaded not guilty Wednesday to driving under the influence during an April incident in which she allegedly struck an L.A. County Sheriff's Department car.

The not-guilty plea was entered in court by her attorney. Bynes did not appear in court.

The 26-year-old was arrested about 3 a.m. on April 6 in West Hollywood. Authorities said her black BMW struck the rear corner of the sheriff's vehicle.

She denied the allegations on Twitter last month: "I can't help but laugh at all of you writing fake stories about me," she tweeted May 27. "I was not in any hit and runs. I don't drink so the DUI is false."

On Tuesday, she tweeted again, this time making a personal plea to the president: "Hey @BarackObama…I don't drink. Please fire the cop who arrested me. I also don't hit and run. The end."

Bynes is also charged with refusing a Breathalyzer or blood-alcohol test. She had been scheduled to appear before the same judge who oversaw much of actress Lindsay Lohan's DUI case.

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-- Andrew Blankstein and Kate Mather