‘Cheers’ Actor Pleads Innocent to Possession of Cocaine

Fresh from a two-week jail stay on a drunk driving charge, “Cheers” performer Kelsey Grammer showed up for court Wednesday precisely on time, neatly dressed in a sports jacket and tie, and pleaded not guilty to a count of cocaine possession.

An even larger than usual contingent of reporters and photographers surrounded Grammer as he made his way to a brief arraignment hearing before Van Nuys Superior Court Judge James M. Coleman.

Grammer, 35, of Van Nuys, who plays Dr. Frasier Crane on the popular NBC television series, is facing trial on the cocaine charge because he failed to attend a court-ordered drug-abuse program after his arrest in 1988. If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to three years.

Coleman scheduled a pretrial hearing for July 12.

On past occasions, Grammer has been tardy and sometimes unkempt. But on Wednesday, Grammer’s hair was neatly combed, and he wore a tan sports coat, white pants and pastel necktie.

Grammer politely fended off reporters’ questions, saying, “I intend to take care of everything, thank you.”

Outside the courthouse, Grammer said that his 14 days in jail for an unrelated offense “wasn’t so bad” and that he was not mistreated.

“It was very interesting. I met some interesting people,” the actor said. “Everybody treated me like a gentleman.”

Sheriff’s jail officials said Grammer was not housed with the general inmate population because celebrities are in danger of attack by publicity-seeking prisoners.

Grammer was released from Los Angeles County Jail one week ago after serving almost half of a 30-day sentence for failing to attend an alcohol education program ordered as a condition of probation after a 1987 drunk driving arrest in Van Nuys. Grammer was released early because of jail overcrowding, jail officials said.

Grammer was also sentenced to spend 10 days picking up roadside trash and weeds for Caltrans and to attend an alcohol-education program. To date, Grammer has spent at least one day pulling weeds.

For the two cases, Grammer has been to court in Van Nuys eight times in the past month and a half.

The cocaine possession charge stems from Grammer’s arrest on April 14, 1988, after he was stopped by Los Angeles police while driving in North Hollywood with expired license plates.

He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and driving without a license and taken by patrol car to a police station for a blood-alcohol test. His blood-alcohol content was well below the legal standard for driving under the influence. But one-quarter gram of cocaine was found in the patrol car, which police said Grammer confessed to dropping.

* LAWYER’S HOLLYWOOD PAST: Grammer’s attorney was a childhood TV star. VIEW J1