Rick Ross Loses Felony Count as Miami Beach Domestic Violence Case Continues

Prosecutors have dropped the most serious charge against Rick Ross in a Miami Beach domestic violence case, but a misdemeanor allegation remains before the court. The felony battery-by-strangulation count was dismissed after prosecutors cited insufficient evidence in paperwork filed Thursday, according to the report. Ross, whose legal name is William Roberts II, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney said his client intends to continue fighting the case. The remaining charge is misdemeanor domestic violence battery, leaving the accusation that Ross struck a woman unresolved in court. The case followed a report to Miami Beach police by a woman who said she had been living with Ross. According to the arrest report, she told authorities that on August 28 he accused her of infidelity and hit her several times. She also alleged that he choked her using the collar of her shirt and pushed her into a wall. She said she was able to leave and later returned to collect her belongings after Ross had gone. Officials said Ross surrendered at a Miami Beach police station on October 1, two days after the woman made her report. He was released on bail several hours later. The felony count was dropped about a month after his arrest, narrowing the case while the misdemeanor allegation proceeds. The article notes that Ross previously faced a Georgia case stemming from a 2015 incident. In 2017, he pleaded no contest to aggravated assault after being accused of forcing a man into a guesthouse at his Atlanta-area home and beating him with a handgun. A court later issued an order exonerating him of guilt under Georgia’s first-time offender programme. Ross is a prominent figure in Miami rap. His 2006 breakout single “Hustlin’” helped launch his career, and his debut album, “Port of Miami,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He founded Maybach Music Group in 2008, whose roster has included Wale, Meek Mill and French Montana. For now, the Miami misdemeanor case remains open, with the next steps left to the court.