Great news for any local TV stations looking for a late February sweeps story. Alycia Lane will now face a criminal hearing in Manhattan on Feb. 25, not April 3 as she was previously scheduled, a spokeswoman at the Manhattan District Attorney's office confirmed for us moments ago. Lane faces one felony count of assault with intent to injure an officer. The embattled anchorbabe was given the April 3 date at her Dec. 16 arraignment in New York where she was locked up overnight after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a female NYPD officer during a road rage incident.



Lane's attorney David Smith has professed his client never hit anyone, and never called the officer a "f---ing dyke," as the officer states in Lane's arrest report. Lane's arrest was first reported here. The anchor went on a three week vacation before being fired by the station on New Year's Day. CBS3 didn't announce that she had been released from her contract until Jan. 7. Last week we reported that Lane had filed court papers against CBS3 in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court asking for documents related to her firing and her personnel file. Lane's court action, called a praecipe to issue writ of summons, is typically a precursor to a lawsuit.