Rick Ross just caught the biggest break in his Miami case. Prosecutors dropped the felony battery by strangulation charge against him for insufficient evidence, but the case is not over: two misdemeanor battery charges are still on the table.
Ross, 50, turned himself in to Miami Beach police on October 1 and pleaded not guilty. The charges came from an alleged August 28 incident at his Star Island home, where his former girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick told investigators he attacked her. Ross has denied her account from the start.
“First and foremost, I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me.”
Rick Ross, speaking to reporters after his October 1 release
Police said at the time that detectives collected injury photographs and surveillance video of the alleged incident, and that their investigation established probable cause for the arrest. A judge set bond at $5,000, ordered Ross to stay away from Kendrick and ordered him to surrender his firearms.
His October 22 arraignment was postponed after his attorneys argued prosecutors had not formally filed charges yet. The filing is in now, and the felony is not in it. What remains are two misdemeanors, battery and battery/domestic violence, according to TMZ reporting carried by multiple outlets today.
His attorney Brad Horenstein has called Ross innocent and questioned why Kendrick waited about a month to report the alleged attack. The claims against Ross are still allegations, nothing has been proven, and the misdemeanor case moves forward from here.
See also: Rick Ross Arrested on Felony Strangulation Charge in Miami Beach · Maino Dressed Up as Rick Ross for Halloween and Recreated His Viral Post-Jail Press Conference Word for Word