Rick Ross pleads not guilty after prosecutors drop felony count
Prosecutors cited insufficient evidence for the felony strangulation charge; one misdemeanor domestic-violence count remains.
Rick Ross performs in 2011. Photo by Michael Williams / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0; this file photo is unrelated to the current case. Michael Williams · Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic · Resized for display.
Rick Ross pleaded not guilty Friday, Oct. 30, to one misdemeanor domestic-violence battery count in Miami-Dade County Court. Prosecutors did not pursue the original felony battery-by-strangulation charge, citing insufficient evidence, and replaced the original misdemeanor battery charge with one misdemeanor domestic-violence count, according to Complex's review of court documents and CBS News Miami's report. The case is now proceeding on a narrower charge, but it remains unresolved.
The case moves forward on a narrower charge
The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office filed paperwork on Oct. 29 concerning the felony count, the Associated Press reported, quoting insufficient evidence as the reason. Complex says the documents show prosecutors dropped both charges announced after Ross's arrest and filed a single misdemeanor battery/domestic-violence count instead. CBS News Miami likewise reports that the remaining charge is a first-degree misdemeanor.
Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, surrendered to Miami Beach police on Oct. 1. The case stems from an allegation about an Aug. 28 incident at his Miami home. Ross has denied the allegations; his attorney, Bradley Horenstein, told CBS News Miami that he was pleased the felony count was not pursued and asked the public to wait for the case to play out. The allegation has not been adjudicated.
Friday's not-guilty plea answers the remaining misdemeanor charge; it does not end the case. CBS News Miami said it was still confirming when Ross is expected back in court. The status change narrows what prosecutors are pursuing while leaving the underlying allegation for the court to resolve.
