Seaside Heights, New Jersey — Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi will face a new charge over her behavior at a beach last month, one that might not surprise viewers of "Jersey Shore" or followers of pop culture: annoying people.
Prosecutors said at a hearing Wednesday that they will add the charge of annoying people on a beach to the two others the MTV reality show cast member faces after her arrest last month on the beach in Seaside Heights, where the show is based.
The newest charge was presented to an attorney for Polizzi just before he entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf to disorderly conduct and creating a public nuisance. He also entered a not guilty plea to the annoyance count.
Polizzi did not attend the hearing at the Seaside Heights municipal court, down the street from the shore house where the group of hard-partying, 20-something Italian-American reality stars of "Jersey Shore" are living. Taping for the show's third season is under way.
The arrest came after other beachgoers reported Polizzi was bothering them, Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd said. It happened one day after the premiere of the show's second season, which features the cast in Miami. She was later released on a summons.
"I understand she's become a public celebrity, but in all honesty it's really not much of a charge," Municipal Prosecutor Kim Pascarella said after the hearing.
Polizzi's trial was scheduled for Sept. 8. If convicted of all three charges, she could face up to $2,000 in fines. But given that she has a clean criminal record, Pascarella said, it would be unlikely that she would face more than $500 in fines for all three offenses.
Polizzi's attorney, Raymond Raya, declined to comment on the charges but said that he had asked prosecutors to turn over to him the evidence against Polizzi.
"We look forward to preparing our defense," Raya said.
Pascarella said such evidence would include police reports, eyewitness accounts and "in this case, because it's reality TV, we actually have video."
Rumors that Snooki would be in court on Wednesday started swirling early and additional police officers were asked to come in for crowd control.
"Is Snooki going to be here? Oh, that's going to be hot!" exclaimed 23-year-old William Fobery, who was among 400 people crammed into a narrow hallway on Wednesday as they waited for hours to be seen by a judge. Most were there to answer to charges similar to what Polizzi was arrested on last month.
Fobery, who grew up in Seaside Heights as a kid and was wearing a "Jersey Shore" T-shirt, was disappointed to learn that Snooki wouldn't be waiting in line with him but said he still loves the show.
"They party hard and they don't care," he said.
