State Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, was arraigned or formally charged in Judge Kimi Kondo’s Seattle municipal courtroom today, July 26, on the charge of gross misdemeanor assault.

Simpson entered a plea of not guilty.

According to the Seattle City Attorney’s Office a pretrial hearing has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 16 before Kondo.

Simpson represents the 47th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives.

The assault charge stems from an alleged domestic violence incident that occurred May 22 at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

In a Seattle Police Department report, Simpson is alleged to have pushed his ex-wife during an incident at the hospital where his 12-year-old daughter was recovering from surgery.

Simpson’s ex-wife filed for a temporary order for protection May 27 in King County Superior Court, which was granted. At a June 10 hearing the order was extended to July 29 when the two are scheduled for a hearing in family court.

Simpson has denied he pushed or assaulted his ex-wife.

The police report stated Simpson entered his daughter’s room at the hospital after she requested he not visit her. The daughter was recovering from surgery that occurred May 19.

In the police report Simpson’s ex-wife stated she tried to stop him outside the room and he “pushed her out of the way and back into the room.” According to the report the ex-wife stated he used the door to force her out of the room. The ex-wife stated in the report he then, “barricaded the door and shut the blinds.”

The police report stated a social worker described the incident to the Seattle police officer as the ex-wife did.

Simpson responded to the incident at Children’s in a declaration to the Superior Court stating his ex-wife refused to let him talk to their daughter while she was in the hospital. “I was met at the door by Petitioner who grabbed my arm and tried to pull me from the room,” Simpson wrote. “I pulled my arm away from Petitioner who stumbled backward a few steps, remaining on her feet. Petitioner left the room and I shut the door behind her.”

In the declaration Simpson stated he had a “short and calm conversation with our daughter while standing at the door.”

Simpson has served for 10 years in the state House and was a member of the Covington City Council prior to being elected to the Legislature. He has worked as a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Kent Fire Department for the past 25 years.