1 day late due to a water main breakthe trial of Patriot safety Jabrill Peppers began Thursday. While most criminal defendants choose not to waive their right to remain silent, Pepper is taking the stand in his own defense.
Pepper via The Associated Press refused to choke or shove the victim;.
He had little choice but to tell his version of events. Without his side, the jury would have heard the victim’s testimony from earlier in the case.
“He grabbed me by the neck and threw me against the wall,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “My feet weren’t touching the wall, so he was holding me against the wall.”
During cross-examination, Pepper’s attorney questioned her about, among other things, a $9.5 million civil lawsuit she had filed against the Peppers. The lawyer accused her of “looking for money.”
According to the Associated Press, the evidence against Pepper includes video of the incident in which “a naked woman can be repeatedly asked to leave his home.” She testified that Pepper was “taunting her as he tried to get her things and tried to leave after the assault.”
The NFL initially placed Chili Pepper on the commission’s exempt list after the charges were filed in October. The league excluded him from next month’s paid leave.
Peppers’ career with the Patriots likely hinges on the verdict. said owner Robert Kraft in October. “If what has been reported is true, he’s gone. ”
