LINCOLN — After initially filing a plea of no contest that wasn’t accepted when he didn’t attend his hearing, State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst has changed course and now plans to fight the allegation against him.

On Tuesday, the day before his rescheduled arraignment on a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace, McKeon filed a new plea of not guilty and waived his formal arraignment. The court accepted the plea and set his next court date for January 26, ordering him to appear.

A legislative staffer accused the state lawmaker of groping her at an end-of-session party in May. The Nebraska State Patrol received a report in September that McKeon had allegedly “made inappropriate contact with her buttocks with his hand, over the top of her clothing,” Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said.

McKeon’s second arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday morning after his arraignment was delayed when he tried to file a no-contest plea by written waiver. Lancaster County Court Judge Matthew Acton said a no-contest plea must be submitted in person and postponed the arraignment one week. A no-contest plea would have allowed McKeon to accept any criminal penalties without formally admitting guilt and would waive his right to a trial.

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