Actor Pierce Brosnan pleads not guilty after being cited for allegedly venturing into Yellowstone restricted areas

Actor Pierce Brosnan allegedly stepped over a few boundaries at Yellowstone National Park and found himself on the wrong side of the law.

Last fall, Brosnan spent some time in Montana to shoot a Western film called "The Unholy Trinity," also starring Samuel L. Jackson. While in the area, Brosnan decided to take a side trip to Yellowstone National Park in the northwest corner of Wyoming.

As he was touring the enormous, 2.2 million-acre park on November 1, Brosnan allegedly made two illegal missteps. On one occasion, the 70-year-old Irish actor allegedly ventured into Mammoth Terraces, a hot springs area that was closed to the public at the time. He then also supposedly wandered off the walkway in another thermal area of the park.

According to federal law, all Yellowstone tourists must restrict their "foot travel ... to boardwalks or trails that are maintained for such travel and are marked by official signs."

Brosnan eventually received two federal citations, one for "foot travel in all thermal areas and w/in Yellowstone Canyon confined to trails" and the other for "violating closures and use limits," court documents said. The maximum penalties for those offenses include six months behind bars and a $5,000 fine.

At a hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming on January 4, Brosnan's lawyer, Karl Knuchel, entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of his client, who did not appear. Knuchel also requested — and was granted — a virtual hearing for Brosnan on February 20.

Various outlets have reached out to Brosnan, through his website and his publicist, for comment but so far have not received a response.

Issuing federal citations to a 70-year-old man for allegedly taking a few liberties with some of the boardwalk rules may sound harsh, but thermal areas — which include geysers and hot springs — are some of the most dangerous attractions in the park. Water temperatures can reach a scalding 175 degrees Fahrenheit, and the park warns visitors that hot springs "have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature."

Brosnan's Hollywood career began 40 years ago, when he starred in the popular TV series "Remington Steele." He also appeared in hit movies such as "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "The Thomas Crown Affair." However, he is perhaps best known for playing James Bond in several films between 1994 and 2002.

He married current wife Keely Shaye Smith about 10 years after his first wife, Cassandra Harris, passed away from cancer in 1991. Between the two marriages, Brosnan has five children and four grandchildren. Court documents indicate he lives in Beverly Hills, California.

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