New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs has pleaded not guilty to felony strangulation and other charges during his arraignment at Massachusetts’ Dedham District Court on Friday, February 13.
He currently remainsfree on personal recognizance and has been ordered to stay away from the victim, according to WCVB.
His arraignment was initially scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23, but was delayed at the request of his lawyers until after Super Bowl LX. His next court date is set for April 1 for a pretrial hearing.
But, the receiver faced a bit of drama as the day before he was set to be arraigned, Diggs’ lawyers withdrew from representing him, the Boston Globe reports (according to court documents).
Stefon Diggs’ Lawyer Addresses Reporters Outside The Courtroom
On Friday, Diggs’ attorney Michael Schuster said that the receiver is “completely innocent” of the “false allegations” when speaking with reporters outside the courtroom.
“We’re confident after the facts and evidence are reviewed in this case, he will be completely exonerated,” Schuster said, as per a video shared by WEEI.
What Are The Charges Against Stefon Diggs?
The Patriots wide receiver is facing charges of felony strangulation or suffocation stemming from an incident on Tuesday, Dec. 2, which was a day after the Patriots defeated the New York Giants.
According to CBS News, a woman walked into the police station on Dec. 16 and spoke to an officer about the incident. She revealed that she was having an ongoing text conversation with the wide receiver about money she was owed, alleging that he hadn’t given her one month’s pay. She added that she was hired by Diggs in July to serve as his personal chef for the NFL season.
The woman accused Diggs of walking into her room and confronting her, in which he allegedly hit and chocked his her due to a payment dispute.
“She said that they began to discuss this, which apparently angered the male,” police said in the report. “She alleges that the male then smacked her across the face. She said that she tried to push him away. The male then tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
There were no photos of any injuries sustained, but she says she had redness on her upper chest.
The New England Patriots & The NFL Released Statements
On the day the charges against Diggs were made public, the Patriots and the league released statements.
“The New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs. Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time,” the organization said (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss).
“We are aware of the matter and have been in contact with the club. We have no further comment at this time,” the NFL said (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).
Patriots’ Stefon Diggs Pleads Not Guilty To Assault Charges