NEW YORK (AP) -- A lawyer for Robert J. "Joe" Halderman says the TV producer was only trying to sell a screenplay when he contacted Letterman.

Halderman appeared Tuesday in a Manhattan court. Prosecutors say he demanded $2 million to keep quiet about the late-night comic's sexual affairs with staffers. He is charged with attempted first-degree grand larceny.

Halderman's attorney, Gerald Shargel, says he plans to challenge the evidence presented to a grand jury.