After two days of deliberation, a jury found the Pro Bowler not guilty of felony strangulation. While his legal team slams ‘opportunistic targeting,’ the NFL says they are still monitoring the situation under the personal conduct policy; Yankee scores reports.
Former New England Patriots footballer Stefon Diggs walked away with a clear conscience following Tuesday’s hearing, as he was acquitted of the felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges associated with an alleged pay dispute against his personal chef, Jamila Adams.
Stefon Diggs, the four-time Pro Bowl wideout, faced a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge for alleged incidents in December 2021.
The jury found him not guilty only after two days of deliberation.
NFL Status and Future
With this ruling, the former New England Patriots player can play again since there is a possibility that he will be facing disciplinary measures from the NFL for this crime.
“We have been monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tuesday.
“We have taken these allegations seriously from day one and that’s exactly why we were eager for the facts to come to light through the legal process,” Mitch Schuster of Meister, Seelig & Schuster said in a statement. “… Professional athletes have a target on their back. When someone sees a uniform and a contract, they see leverage; they see a settlement. And they’re counting on that pressure in the court of public opinion to drive a default decision to settle regardless of the facts of the matter.
The Prosecution’s Case
In summary, this criminal case involved Stefon Diggs allegedly slapping and choking Jamila Adams during a heated argument between them in December 2021 inside his Dedham residence.
Diggs’ attorneys refuted claims of the alleged physical assault by questioning the credibility of Jamila Adams and suggested it may have happened out of financial considerations, relationship disputes, including the Miami vacation issue, and a possible assault.
The Defense’s Strategy
“The evidence has shown what we’ve maintained from day one: Mr. Diggs was wrongly accused, and this case represents exactly the kind of opportunistic targeting that players can face the moment they step off the field.”
They referred to the monetary requests made by Jamila Adams and eyewitness accounts of friends and employees who claimed that she didn’t look physically abused. During the closing arguments, Stefon Diggs’ defense lawyer, Andrew Kettlewell, stated that the prosecution hadn’t provided a “single shred of credible evidence” to prove any assault took place.
During the case proceedings, the prosecution described it as a domestic abuse case involving a live-in chef accusing an NFL star of choking and striking her during a dispute over text messages.
On the other hand, the defense raised issues surrounding the credibility of the alleged victim by citing financial compensation demands and introducing witnesses like the defendant’s staff and his hairstylist.
