Brian WallaceSTATE HOUSE, BOSTON, AUG. 9, 2011…..Former state Rep. Brian Wallace pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning in Suffolk Superior Court to charges that he violated state campaign finance law, setting up a trial next spring against prosecutors from the office of Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Wallace, who smiled as he greeted a reporter in the courtroom, waived a reading of the formal indictments against him and his only words in open court, in response to the charges were, “Not guilty.” Clerk magistrate Gary Wilson scheduled a May 2012 trial date, with several procedural dates scheduled throughout the fall and spring.

Coakley has charged the South Boston Democrat with failure to report more than $6,300 in campaign contributions in 2008. Asked about the charges Tuesday morning, Coakley declined to comment, saying it is an ongoing criminal matter.

Wallace was indicted in July, along with his former campaign treasurer Timothy Duross, and charged with failing to report contributions and failing to preserve financial documentation.

The South Boston Democrat is accused of omitting $6,345 in campaign contributions from reports in 2008, 17 percent of his haul that year. When asked by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to provide backup documentation, neither Wallace, 61, or Duross, 50, were able to comply, according to Coakley's office. The charges against them carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a $1,000 fine or both.

Jason Cofield, a prosecutor in Coakley’s Public Integrity Division, represented the attorney general’s office in court Tuesday.

Wallace and his attorney, William McDermott, ducked reporters after the arraignment, slipping into an off-limits courthouse chamber and ignoring requests for comment.

McDermott has previously maintained Wallace’s innocence.

“Former State Representative Brian Wallace restates his innocence of any criminal acts alleged by the Attorney General and restates his contention that this charge should be settled in a civil disposition with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance," he said in a statement last month after Wallace and Duross were indicted. "He looks forward to his opportunity to clear his good name."

Duross and his attorney, Thomas Finnerty Jr., approached outside the courthouse, reiterated a belief that his client is “innocent” and declined further comment.

OCPF began investigating Wallace and Duross in 2009 and referred the case to the attorney general. Wallace represented the Fourth Suffolk District in the House from 2003 to January 2011. He retired after his term expired this year. According to Coakley's office, Duross began working as Wallace's campaign treasurer in 2001.

While in the Legislature, Wallace was a vocal advocate for casino gambling. A screenwriter, he was also a supporter of a film industry tax credit. When he announced last March he intended to retire, Wallace acknowledged suffering from health issues. He also said he wanted to return to his writing career.