5 min read
Major Takeaways
- Prosecutors in Miami dropped the felony battery by strangulation charge against Rick Ross, citing insufficient evidence.
- The state filed two misdemeanor counts in its place, battery and battery with domestic violence.
- Ross surrendered to Miami Beach police on October 1 and has pleaded not guilty to every charge.
- Ross calls the allegations fabricated, and his lawyers say he is innocent.
- An arraignment on the new counts is set for Friday, November 6.
Rick Ross just caught the biggest break yet in his Miami domestic violence case.
Prosecutors have dropped the felony charge that hung over the rapper for a month.
In new court filings, the state walked away from the felony battery by strangulation count, citing insufficient evidence.
In its place, prosecutors filed two misdemeanor counts, one for battery and one for battery with domestic violence.
The decision cuts the stakes of the case dramatically for the 50 year old mogul, born William Leonard Roberts II.
How the Case Began
The case traces back to August 28 at the Star Island mansion Ross shared with his girlfriend at the time, Jazzma Kendrick.
Kendrick told investigators the morning turned violent after an argument over a social media photo that tagged her.
She said Ross accused her of seeing someone else, then slapped and struck her as she denied it.
Her account says he grabbed her by the collar of her clothing and restricted her breathing.
She also said he pulled her by her ponytail and slammed her into a wall, leaving her with a split lip.
Kendrick later shared photographs of what she described as her injuries on social media.
She went to police on September 29, about a month after the alleged attack.
Miami Beach police spokesman Christopher Bess said detectives collected injury photographs and surveillance video during the investigation.
He said the evidence gave detectives probable cause to seek an arrest.
The Surrender and the Bond
Ross surrendered to Miami Beach police on October 1 and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 in the morning.
He was released the same day on a $5,000 bond set by Judge Mindy Glazer.
The judge ordered him to stay away from Kendrick and to surrender his firearms while the case moves forward.
Walking out of the jail, Ross faced the cameras and denied everything.
“First and foremost, I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me,” he said.
His attorney Steve Sadow struck the same note in a written statement.
“Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges,” Sadow said.
Defense attorney Bradley Horenstein pointed to the month that passed before Kendrick went to police and urged the public to let the case play out in court.
A Month of Waiting on a Filing Decision
Ross was first set to be arraigned on October 22, but that hearing never really happened.
Prosecutors had not formally filed charges by that date, and the hearing was pushed to Friday, November 6.
The delay raised a real question about whether the state believed its own case.
Friday brought the answer. The state filed, but it filed far less than the arrest promised.
The felony is gone, and what remains are two misdemeanor counts.
What the Downgrade Changes
Under Florida law, battery by strangulation means applying pressure to the throat or neck, or blocking the nose or mouth, and it is a third degree felony.
That charge carried up to five years in prison.
Misdemeanor battery carries up to one year in jail, a very different kind of exposure for a man with an empire to run.
The downgrade does not end the case, and it is not an acquittal.
Ross still faces a court fight, a stay away order, and a legal battle playing out in public.
It also does not erase what Kendrick described, and her account remains part of the court record.
Why This Case Hits Home
Cases like this one land hard in our community because they sit at the crossroads of fame, power, and accountability.
Advocates have said for years that Black women face disproportionately high rates of intimate partner violence, and that their reports are too often doubted or delayed.
Kendrick waited a month before going to police, a gap the defense has made central to its argument.
Advocates answer that delayed reporting is common among survivors, and that a delay says nothing by itself about whether an attack happened.
At the same time, Ross is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and he has not been convicted of anything.
Both truths have to fit inside the same conversation, and the courtroom is where the evidence gets tested.
For more on the music and the business behind the headlines, follow our Entertainment coverage, including Jay Z set to headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show and Zainab Johnson and her new Netflix special.
What Happens Next
Ross is expected in court on Friday, November 6, for arraignment on the new misdemeanor counts.
He has already pleaded not guilty in the case and demanded a jury trial.
His team has shown no sign of looking for a quiet plea deal, and Ross has carried on with business in public view.
For now, the felony chapter of this case is closed. The misdemeanor chapter opens on November 6.
