Trial of Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers reportedly delayed due to water main break
The Patriots safety is accused of slamming his girlfriend's head into a wall and choking her in October. His lawyer says he'll be exonerated.
Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers’s trial was set to begin Wednesday, but a water main break in the area of Quincy District Court delayed the beginning of jury selection, news outlets reported.
Peppers is accused of slamming his girlfriend’s head into a wall and choking her in October. He was arrested Oct. 5 and charged with domestic assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a Class B substance.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment, and his final pre-trial hearing concluded last week. Jury selection was set to begin Wednesday morning, but will instead resume Thursday due to the water main break, NBC 10 Boston reported.
Peppers allegedly choked the woman and pushed her head against a wall in his apartment before forcing her from his apartment, according to police records. Police said they also found a small bag of white powder in his wallet; Peppers allegedly admitted it was cocaine and tested positive for the drug. A motion filed in court says “this charge will be resolved short of trial.”
During the pre-trial hearing, Peppers’s lawyer Marc Brofsky, filed multiple motions, including introducing four cell phone videos as evidence that “completely contradicts the alleged victim’s story,” he told reporters in October.
“Although she alleges that the Defendant choked her, smashed her head against a wall and threw her down a steep flight of stairs, the only apparent injury she has is a minor scrape to her knee,” the motion said. Police said she refused to go to the hospital and was treated at home.
The judge said the videos will be played in full during the trial, The Boston Globe reported at the time.
Peppers, who signed an extension with the Patriots last summer, was removed from the Commissioner’s Exempt list in November, allowing him to get back on the field in December. He missed seven games before he was reinstated, but missed three of the Patriots’ final five games due to injuries. His current contract runs through 2027.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com