FIRST OFF . . .

Sean Penn has a date in court later this month on an allegation that he damaged the car of a New York Post photographer Sunday. The actor has denied kicking photographer Paul Adao’s car. Adao said he saw Penn and his wife, pop icon Madonna, walking down Columbus Avenue on Sunday evening and pulled over to take a few pictures. According to Adao, Penn slowly approached his car, kicked a large dent in it and calmly walked away. “When I saw him coming, I shut the windows and locked the doors,” the photographer told the Post. As Penn walked down the street, Adao flagged down Housing Police Officer Mike DiLello, who tapped Penn on the shoulder and said, “Sean, we’ve got to try to get this straightened out,” and took Penn and Adao downtown. Once at the station, Penn was issued a desk appearance ticket and ordered to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court July 27, police said. Penn served a month in a Northern California jail and in Los Angeles County Jail last year for parole violation of a battery conviction and reckless driving citation.