QUINCY - Jabrill Peppers, a safety for the New England Patriots, was found not guilty on all charges of domestic violence after he repeatedly denied those accusations while testifying in his own defense at his trial. Following closing arguments, the judge sent the jury to have lunch and deliberate the case shortly before 1 p. They returned their verdict a little more than an hour later, acquitting Peppers on the charges of assault and strangulation.
The judge continued that charge against him for four months without a finding. The prosecution said Peppers became enraged and attacked his girlfriend last October in Braintree after she received a phone call from another man. He's accused of smashing her head against a wall and throwing her down the stairs. But Peppers says that's not what happened, testifying Friday, "I never slammed her into the wall. Both sides agree that Peppers and Sharline Jimenez were in a consensual sexual relationship.
Defense attorney Marc Brofsky said the incident began because Jimenez tried to have unprotected sex with Peppers and refused to leave his home. So please put your clothes on and leave," Peppers can be heard saying in a video played in court Thursday. In a phone call played for the jury, Peppers is heard telling an unidentified person, "Coach. I f--ed up. She didn't want to leave Jimenez took the stand earlier on Thursday. She testified that he attacked her after a night out.
Peppers' lawyer questioned her injuries and asked about a multi-million-dollar civil lawsuit she's filing against the player. In her closing argument, prosecutor Abigail Bird made the case that Peppers was "angry, enraged and lashing out in these videos. Peppers missed seven Patriots games as a result of his arrest and lost his team captain position. I lost a lot of my season to this. I couldn't be a part of the team.
And to be accused of that, it just, it just hurt. Peppers was joined at the trial by his parents. His mother was emotional as she spoke after the verdict. I trusted God," said Ivory Bryant. Jimenez had no comment after the verdict. But I'm the type of guy where I stand for what's right.
