Welcome to the latest edition of the Bronx News Roundup. Just a couple of political stories today.

Former Bronx assemblyman Nelson Castro pleaded not guilty today in Bronx Supreme Court to perjury charges. According to his lawyer, Castro, who resigned from his West Bronx seat after admitting to helping authorities build a bribery case against fellow assemblyman Eric Stevenson, entered the plea as a formality. The charges are expected to be dismissed if Castro continues to cooperate with prosecutors. He agreed to resign as part of his plea agreement. [CBS NY]

In other political news, Bronx State Senator Gustavo Rivera (who, by the way, covers some of the same territory as Castro used to), became the first Hispanic lawmaker to officially endorse Council Speaker Christine Quinn for mayor. [Daily News]

Quinn, however, was not in attendance last night at a “peculiar” (according to the Observer) mayoral forum at Monroe College hosted by the City Action Committee, a coalition of conservative religious groups. Several other candidates did attend, including “political comedian” Randy Credico, who said this after candidate Sal Albanese said he would legalize and tax marijuana use: “I would cut back on the money for the prosecution of pot. I’m an ex-pot smoker and I’m a part-time pot smoker, but the mayor can’t raise taxes on it; it is the governor that has to do that,” Credico said, according to theObserver. Maybe you have been smoking pot, Sal.”