'Orange Is The New Black' Star Dascha Polanco's Lawyer Speaks Out Amid Claims Actress Assaulted A Teenager

Dascha Polanco, who rose to fame as one of the more controversial stars of the Netflix original series "Orange Is the New Black," may be in serious legal trouble. Report began surfacing on Thursday claiming the 33-year-old actress had been charged with assault in connection with an incident involving a young girl. Now Polanco's lawyer is speaking out, calling the teen's accusations false.

According to E! Online, the incident occurred in a private New York City residence in July. Polanco is said to have punched Michelle Cardona in the head, pulled her hair and scratched her arms. Court documents obtained by Page Six support these claims. Polanco's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, however, maintains his client's innocence. He says Cardona, 17, is attempting to use the incident to extort Polanco for money, adding that the entire incident was recorded. Lefcourt is confident the case will not hold up in court, leading to its dismissal.

"This is an attempt to extort money by making a false claim," he said. "We expect the case to be dismissed."

The police report, featured by Page Six, states that Polanco was arrested July 29. She was taken into custody after Cardona called authorities claiming she had been attacked. The documents say police noticed "bruising and redness" on Cardona's face and "scratches to her arms" and she was hospitalized.

In the meantime, Polanco and her co-stars have been hard at work filming Season 4 of "OITNB." Filming is thought to have begun in June, with several outlets reporting that the cast was on-location in Orangeburg, New York, filming scenes at Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center. It was also reported that "OITNB" had scheduled several filming days in New York City from the middle of June to the middle of October.

Polanco will go before a New York City judge to plead her innocence in January. She has not personally commented on the case.