NFL Receiver Stefon Diggs Not Guilty of Strangulation, Assault Charges
A jury in Massachusetts on Tuesday found former New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs not guilty of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges. The ruling removes a legal concern NFL teams may have for the 32-year-old free agent, whom Norfolk County prosecutors accused of engaging in a physical confrontation with his personal chef, Jamila Adams, during a dispute about her pay at a residence in Dedham, Mass. , a suburb of Boston.
Diggs was accused of hitting and trying to choke Adams. He denied the allegations, and his attorney, Andrew Kettlewell, raised questions about Adams’ testimony. More from Sportico.
com NFL Schedule Release Timing Remains a Mystery as Ad Upfronts Loom William Blair to Buy Inner Circle, Bolstering Sports Dealmaking FCC Probe May Foil NFL's Early TV Renewal Talks Diggs could still face potential NFL discipline under the league’s personal conduct policy, which does not require a criminal conviction and focuses on whether conduct undermines the league’s integrity and reputation. In the wake of the jury verdict, an NFL spokesperson told Sportico , “we have been monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy. ” Diggs could also face civil liability—which is based on the preponderance of the evidence standard (more likely than not) rather than the criminal law standard of beyond a reasonable doubt—in potential litigation with Adams.
It also remains to be seen if companies with whom Diggs currently has endorsement deals stick with him. Companies often include “morals clauses” in endorsement deals that permit them to end relationships when an athlete becomes the source of legal controversy. But Diggs has defeated the threat of the most serious legal consequence: criminal conviction and potential incarceration.
He notably declined a plea deal—where he could have pleaded to a lesser offense and perhaps avoided any jail time—and instead took his chances before a jury. The move proved correct. Diggs was the Patriots’ No.