Stefon Diggs, Patriots wide receiver, pleads not guilty to assault, strangulation charges in Massachusetts
Stefon Diggs, a star wide receiver with the New England Patriots, made a brief appearance in court in Dedham, Massachusetts Friday to face criminal charges after he allegedly assaulted his personal chef.
Diggs, 32, was arraigned in Dedham District Court on charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery in the Dec. 2 incident. Diggs, who has denied the allegations, pleaded not guilty. He was allowed to leave without paying any bail. The entire session lasted less than three minutes. Diggs was ordered to stay away from his accuser. He's due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on April 1.
Stefon Diggs police report
According to a Dedham police report, Diggs' personal chef reported the alleged assault on Dec. 16, two weeks after it happened. She said she was hired as Diggs' personal chef for the entire NFL season and was allowed to stay in a room at his house in Dedham. She told investigators the confrontation was about money.
"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."
David Meier, an attorney for Diggs, said in December that his client "categorically denies these allegations." Meier called the woman's accusations "unsubstantiated" and "the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee's satisfaction." According to the Boston Globe, Meier and another attorney withdrew from the case Thursday.
Diggs was represented by attorney Mitchell Schuster at Friday's arraignment. He's said he's been working with Diggs for "several years."
"He is completely innocent of these false allegations," Schuster told reporters outside court. "We're confident that after the facts and evidence are reviewed in this case he will be completely exonerated."
WBZ-TV legal analyst Jennifer Roman says she wouldn't be surprised if the case got dismissed.
"This is a tough case for the prosecution, because not only is it a 'he said, she said,' but she waited so long to report this to the authorities that that's really going to undercut her credibility," Roman said. "His attorneys could work out a cash settlement with the alleged victim. And with that cash settlement, she agrees not to cooperate in any way with the prosecution."
Stefon Diggs reaction
Diggs did not speak to reporters Friday. After the allegations became public, he called it a "very emotional time" and said he couldn't say anything about the case. The Patriots issued a statement at the time saying, "We support Stefon."
Diggs was originally scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 23, which would have been two days before the AFC Championship Game. But, his arraignment was moved to Feb. 13, five days after the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks.