Stefon Diggs Pleads Not Guilty to Strangulation Charge
Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty on Feb. 13 to felony strangulation after an alleged Dec. 2 incident; a judge ordered no contact and set a pretrial hearing for April 1.
Overview
Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty on Feb. 13 in Dedham District Court to felony strangulation and additional assault charges, court records show.
The charges stem from an alleged Dec. 2 encounter at Diggs’s Dedham home in which his personal chef said he smacked her and tried to choke her with the crook of his elbow, according to court documents.
Attorney Mitchell Schuster said Diggs "categorically denies" the allegations and expects to be exonerated, and the Patriots released a statement saying they support him and will cooperate with authorities and the NFL.
Investigators said the chef first reported the incident to police on Dec. 16 after initially hesitating, and the arraignment was postponed until after Super Bowl LX so Diggs could play.
A judge released Diggs on personal recognizance and ordered he avoid contact with the accuser, according to court reporting, and a pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 1 when bail and future dates may be addressed.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources... present the case neutrally, relying on attributed court records for the allegations, quoting the accuser’s reported statements and the defense’s “categorically denies” line, recording procedural details (arraignment, bail, no-contact order), and adding sports background (contract, game postponement) as context rather than editorial judgment.
Sources (8)
FAQ
Stefon Diggs is charged with one count of felony strangulation or suffocation and one count of misdemeanor assault and battery.
The chef alleged that during a dispute over unpaid wages on Dec. 2 at Diggs's home, he smacked her across the face, choked her with the crook of his elbow around her neck, and threw her on the bed.
Diggs pleaded not guilty, and his attorney stated he categorically denies the allegations, calling them unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and motivated by a financial dispute.
Diggs was released on personal recognizance with a no-contact order with the accuser, including third-party contact, and a pretrial hearing is set for April 1.
The arraignment, originally scheduled for January 23, was postponed until after Super Bowl LX so Diggs could play in the game.
History
4 sources