Ray Rice’s Domestic Violence Case Dismissed

A New Jersey judge dismissed former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice’s domestic violence case on /4/21 after he completed a pretrial intervention program.

A New Jersey judge has dismissed the domestic violence case against former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. 

Judge Michael A. Donio dismissed Rice’s case on /4/21 after the latter completed a pretrial intervention program, per The Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson. The charges are traced to Rice’s physical altercation with then-fiancee (now wife) Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City casino elevator in Feb. 2014. 

The domestic violence charges against Ray Rice have been dismissed http://t.co/PIZGUcfEnu pic.twitter.com/2qpY7T9l8u— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) /4/21, 2015

Donio wrote an email about his intent to sign Rice’s dismissal to ABCNews.com (via ESPN):

“I was just presented with a dismissal order from Prosecutor (James) McClain — which means that Ray Rice has successfully completed all of his terms and conditions of his PTI — therefore based on the Prosecutors’ recommendation I will be signing Mr. Rice’s dismissal.”

Rice’s lawyer, Michael Diamondstein, told ESPN’s Caplan the former Ravens running back completed his PTI on Thursday. A third-degree charge of aggravated assault was dismissed upon completion of the program. 

Terms of the program included Rice having to pay $125 in fines and receiving anger management counseling. The ESPN update says “the arrest will remain on Rice’s record, but there will be no conviction.” 

Please, please, please, please, please, please, please stop comparing Tom Brady to Ray Rice: http://t.co/dt7sUbSSwY pic.twitter.com/kHqMxNHFP9— AOL Sports (@AOLSports) /4/15, 2015

When video of Rice’s incident with Palmer went viral, the Ravens terminated his $35 million contract. The NFL also suspended him for two games before extending it to an indefinite term, per Wilson.

The Baltimore Sun update says the league eventually lifted the suspension after an appeal which was heard by former federal judge Barbara S. Jones. Both Jones and former FBI director Robert Mueller, who headed an investigation on the Rice incident, criticized NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on how he handled the case. 

Rice managed to avoid time in prison after the pretrial intervention program accepted him as a first-time offender, per Wilson. 

Rice’s lawyers claimed their client was disciplined for the same incident twice. He reached a $1.588 million settlement with the Ravens two months ago after he filed a wrongful termination grievance, per CSN Baltimore Ravens Insider Clifton Brown. 

Rice will have to wait, but should have suitors in training camp http://t.co/V8n4CehvTr— John Banks (@JohnBanks3) /4/21, 2015

According to The Baltimore Sun, Rice recently sold his Reiserstown, Md. home and moved to Connecticut which is closer to his hometown of Rochelle, N.Y. 

He told Wilson in Feb. 2014 he expected a fresh start when he fulfills his legal obligations in May:

“I’m actually done in my case. Really, I just have to call the state of New Jersey once a month. After /4/19, I’m done. It will be a full year. It will be like a refreshing start. That’s the only little burden that I have. I have until /4/19.

“I don’t have anything to do but call and confirm some things with them that I’m not getting into any trouble. It’s a real basic phone call and they give me another date for the next month.

“This year has gone by really fast. It’s been a year since the incident. Once /4/comes, I’ll be moving into my new house and I’ll sort of feel like a free man by then. You’re back to a fresh slate. One thing I learned is to be patient and stay ready.”

Rice became a free agent after the NFL reinstated him in Dec. 2014. However, he has received no interest from other teams so far, per ESPN. 

The 28-year-old Rice has amassed 6,180 yards and 37 touchdowns on 1,430 carries in 92 career regular-season games for the Baltimore Ravens, per ESPN stats. 

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