TORONTO -- Justin Bieber was charged with assault for allegedly hitting a Toronto limousine driver several times in the back of the head last month, just hours after his attorney entered a separate not guilty plea in Florida to drunken-driving and other charges. 
 
 The baby-faced 19-year-old turned himself in to a Toronto police station Wednesday evening, arriving amid a crush of media and screaming fans. He was charged with one count of assault and is scheduled to appear in court in Toronto on March 10. 
 
 Police allege Bieber was one of six people who were picked up by a limousine from a nightclub in the early morning hours of Dec. 30, and there was an altercation while en route to a hotel. 
 
 Police said that, during the altercation, one of the passengers hit the limo driver in the back of the head several times. 
 
 "The driver stopped the limousine, exited the vehicle and called police," a statement said. "The man who struck him left the scene before police arrived." 
 
 Howard Weitzman, Bieber's attorney in California, said his client is innocent and declined to comment on the allegations against Bieber or any potential defense, saying it was now a matter for the court to handle. 
 
 Weitzman said he expects the case to be treated as a summary offense, which is the equivalent of a misdemeanor in the United States. "The Toronto Police Service requested that Justin Bieber appear in Toronto today to face an allegation of assault relating to an incident on December 29, 2013. We anticipate that this matter will be treated as a summary offense, the equivalent of a misdemeanor in the United States," he said in a statement. 
 
 Brian Greenspan, Bieber's Canadian attorney, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. 
 
 Toronto police said in late December they were looking into allegations that a member of Bieber's entourage assaulted a limo driver who was ferrying the Canadian pop star and several others. Police said at the time it was unclear whether Bieber was involved. 
 
 Bieber emerged from a black SUV wearing a winter coat and a backwards ball cap before being led through a throng of police and reporters. Many waited for his arrival for more than an hour in freezing temperatures. 
 
 He was escorted by several police officers — who linked arms to guide him through the mob — and a bodyguard, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a CBS News partner. 
 
 Bieber spent about an hour and a half in the police station before leaving through a back exit. 
 
 It was yet another sign of the crazy lifestyle that has taken over Bieber's image. 
 
 Earlier on Wednesday, Bieber pleaded not guilty in Florida to charges of driving under the influence after allegedly driving nearly twice the speed limit on a Miami Beach street. He also pleaded not guilty to resisting arrest and driving with an expired license. 
 
 Court records show that Bieber's attorney filed a written plea in Miami-Dade County. Bieber already has an arraignment set for Feb. 14, but Florida law doesn't require the 19-year-old pop star to be present. 
 
 Bieber and R&B singer Khalil Amir Sharieff were arrested last week in Miami Beach during what police described as an illegal street drag race between a Lamborghini and a Ferrari. Neither has been charged with drag racing, which is a crime in Florida. 
 
 According to the CBC, "Bieber's blood-alcohol level in the Miami incident wasn't released. Under Florida law, people under the age of 21 are considered driving under the influence if they have a blood-alcohol content of 0.02 or more — a level the 5-foot-9, 140-pound star could reach with one drink." 
 
 The Canadian pop star lately has drawn more attention for his brushes with the law than for his music. 
 
 His arrival at the Toronto police station was no different - the singer debuted a music video for his song "Confident" on Wednesday afternoon, just as news of his expected arrest was breaking. 
 
 Bieber remains under investigation for felony vandalism in Los Angeles County over an egg-tossing episode that did $20,999 in damage to his neighbor's home. Detectives searched his home on Jan. 14, seeking surveillance video, and prosecutors have sought additional information before determining whether to pursue charges. 
 
 No charges have been filed in that investigation, but one of Bieber’s house guests, rapper Lil Za, was arrested when deputies allegedly found illegal drugs during their search. 
 
 Bieber's antics have prompted more than 115,000 people to sign a WhiteHouse.gov petition demanding that the star be deported to his native Canada. Because the petition has topped 100,000 signatures, the Obama administration must respond to it. 
 
 The cases have overshadowed the recent release of his latest album. Its reception has been far from the chart-topping success Bieber had after he debuted in 2009, with multiple platinum albums. 
 
 Last year, Bieber made headlines for everything from clashing with a paparazzo to fainting at a show to being photographed smoking marijuana. The paparazzo is suing Bieber for assault and battery. 
 
 German authorities charged him thousands of dollars after he abandoned a pet monkey that they seized from him for failing to have proper vaccination papers. 
 
 The singer also had to apologize to Bill Clinton after cursing the former president and spraying his photo with cleaning fluid in a New York City restaurant kitchen. 
 
 Bieber was discovered through a YouTube video of him performing, and his career has been guided by a pair of music industry heavyweights, singer Usher and manager Scooter Braun. He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards for his 2010 full-length album debut "My World 2.0," but his popularity has waned. 
 
 Braun tweeted Wednesday evening, "i ask people to be kind and hope for the best in people. not assume the worst. Thanks." 
 
 Jon Bollock, a 14-year-old fan waiting for Bieber to arrive outside the Toronto police station, said he wanted to see Bieber but said "it's pretty embarrassing for Canada." ||||| Justin Bieber Charged With Criminal Assault 
 
 has been charged withfor allegedly attacking a limousine driver ... TMZ has learned.Justin took a limo in Toronto in December and got into some sort of skirmish. At the time we were toldfor roughing up the driver.But the investigation took a turn ... We're told Toronto cops wanted to talk to Justin but he didn't come in for an interview and they got annoyed. Law enforcement sources say Justin is now in Toronto and in the next hour will go to the police station.Sources say Justin will be booked for assault, given a citation and released on his own recognizance.Our sources say ... Justin is accused of physically attacking the limo driver ... not simply ordering the attack.Our sources also say 3 other witnesses were interviewed yesterday and at least some of their account incriminated Justin. ||||| Pop singer Justin Bieber pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of careless driving and resisting arrest seven months after his arrest in Miami Beach following what police initially called an illegal street drag race. 
 
 The 20-year-old pop star’s plea deal with prosecutors, detailed at a court hearing, includes a 12-hour anger management course, a $50,000 charitable contribution and fines. The deal allows Bieber to avoid a driving under the influence conviction. 
 
 Bieber was not present at the hearing before Miami-Dade County Judge William Altfield. Defense attorney Mark Shapiro said Bieber had already given the $50,000 to a local children’s charity. 
 
 Bieber was arrested early Jan. 23 in Miami Beach after what police described as an illegal street race betweenBieber’s rented Lamborghini and a Ferrari driven by R&B singer Khalil Amir Sharieff. Neither was charged with drag racing and there was little evidence they were even exceeding posted speed limits. 
 
 Alcohol breath tests found Bieber’s level below the 0.02 limit for underage drivers, but urine tests showed the presence of marijuana and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system. Bieber was also charged with resisting arrest after a profanity-laced tirade against police officers, as well as driving on an expired license. 
 
 The urine test itself became a battle between media companies, including The Associated Press, that sought access to video of the test and Bieber’s lawyers arguing it was an invasion of privacy. Ultimately, Altfield ordered the video released with sensitive portions blacked out. Other police video depicted Bieber walking unsteadily during a sobriety test. 
 
 In July, Bieber resolved another criminal case by pleading no contest to a misdemeanor vandalism charge for throwing eggs at a neighbor’s house in Los Angeles. In that case, Bieber agreed to pay more than $80,000 in damages and meet a number of other conditions. 
 
 Bieber is also charged in Toronto with assaulting a limousine driver in late December. His lawyers have said he is not guilty in that case. 
 
 Also in Miami, Bieber is being sued by a photographer who says he was roughed up while snapping pictures of the singer outside a recording studio. 
 
 The Canadian-born Bieber shot to stardom at age 15, with his career overseen by two music industry heavyweights, singer Usher and manager Scooter Braun, after initially gaining notice through YouTube videos. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards for his 2010 full-length album debut “My World 2.0.”
– Yet more criminal trouble for Justin Bieber: He turned himself in at a Toronto police station last night, where he was charged with assault and then quickly released, CBS News reports. Police say Biebs and five other people had a limousine pick them up at a nightclub in the city in the wee hours of Dec. 30 (Bieber had earlier attended a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game, CNN reports), but there was some sort of fight as they were being driven to a hotel. One of the passengers hit the limo driver in the back of the head multiple times, police say, and then left the scene before police got there. It didn't help his case that Bieber failed to show up for a police interview after the incident, reports TMZ, which claims that Bieber, and not a member of his entourage, is the one suspected of actually assaulting the driver. His first court appearance is scheduled for March 10. The assault charge came just hours after his lawyer entered a not guilty plea for Bieber in his DUI-and-drag-racing case from last week (an arraignment is set for Valentine's Day), and he's still facing possible charges over the egging of his neighbor's house. Evidence was presented to the district attorney in that case this week, CNN reports, but prosecutors asked detectives to investigate further. A decision on whether to charge Bieber with felony vandalism could be made by next week. (Not surprisingly, lots of Americans want to see Bieber deported.)