Amanda Bynes Released On Drug Charge, Claims Bong Was 'Vase'

Former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes appeared in a New York courtroom on Friday morning (May 24) to face a judge following her arrest? on Thursday night on drug charges. Bynes was taken into custody at her New York apartment after police claim that she tried to destroy evidence of her drug use.

According to TMZ Bynes, wearing a disheveled blonde wig, sweatshirt and grey sweat pants, was released on her own recognizance despite a prosecutor's request that she be held on $1,000 bail.

Before being released, Bynes, 26, was formally charged with attempted evidence tampering, reckless endangerment and marijuana possession. The criminal complaint claims that a man in Bynes' building told police he saw her smoking a joint in the first floor lobby. When a uniformed officer entered Bynes' apartment a short time later, he asked about what appeared to be a bong sitting on the kitchen counter.

"I observed [Amanda] grab said bong, run to the westbound-facing window, and throw it out the window where numerous pedestrians were walking on the 8 Avenue and West 47 Street sidewalks below," the officer said in the report. TMZ reported that Bynes told the judge that the bong claim police said she threw out of her apartment window was "just a vase." It was unclear if she explained why she would throw a vase from the 36th floor flat.

NBC New York reported that the judge warned Bynes that if she gets arrested again or fails to show up for her next court date, he would set "significant bail." Her attorney, Andrew Friedman, noted in court that officers went to Bynes' apartment for no reason and argued, "Nothing was recovered from the sidewalk. Clearly a search was made for the bong ... my client completely denies ever illegally throwing anything out of her window."

She also reportedly called 911 the night of her arrest and claimed the police had assaulted her and Friedman said on Friday that she'd filed a formal complaint with the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau alleging mistreatment.

Before being booked on Thursday, Bynes was taken to Roosevelt Hospital to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. The troubled actress is due back in court on July 9.