FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard missed practice Wednesday because he was in Nebraska, at a hearing on pretrial motions in relation to an April 21, 2012 arrest, according to documents from the District Court of Lancaster County, Neb.

Dennard was charged with felony assault and two related misdemeanors after being arrested outside a Lincoln, Neb., bar. He allegedly punched a police officer during a disturbance.

The court documents noted that a trial date has been officially set for Feb. 11, 2013.

Dennard previously had his trial delayed in both July and again in November. The date set for the trial ensures that the NFL season will be over at the time it is held.

On Wednesday, the Patriots listed Dennard on their practice report as a non-participant due to a non-injury related issue. He returned to practice Thursday.

The rookie cornerback, whose stock in the 2012 NFL draft slipped following his arrest, was selected in the seventh round. He played in 10 regular-season games, starting seven and registering 35 tackles and three interceptions.

He started this past Sunday when the Patriots defeated the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs, finishing with three tackles and a forced fumble.

Field Yates is a regular contributor to ESPNBoston.com.