Rick Ross Arraignment Delayed As Attorneys Say Charges Remain Unfiled

Rick Ross‘ court date was pushed back Thursday. His lawyers said prosecutors had not yet filed formal charges in the case tied to claims of abuse by his ex-girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick.

The rapper was due in a Miami court on October 22 for his arraignment, WSVN reported. His lawyers pointed to the lack of a formal filing. They did not say the case had been thrown out.

The case stems from Kendrick’s account of an August 28 attack. Ross, 50, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, was arrested over claims of felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic violence.

He denied the claims when he got out of jail on October 1. Earlier that day, his lawyer, Bradley Horenstein, had entered a not-guilty plea for him, WSVN reported.

After leaving the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, Ross spoke to reporters and said Kendrick had made up the claims against him.

Kendrick gave police a different account. She said the dispute began with an Instagram photo in which she was tagged. According to WSVN’s earlier report, she told police Ross thought she was seeing someone else and hit her when she denied it.

She also told police he struck her chest and pulled her by her ponytail. Kendrick shared photos of her injuries on social media and took her claims to police. Ross denied that account.

Police said their work went beyond her account. Miami Beach Police spokesperson Christopher Bess described what they had found, WSVN reported.

“[Detectives] also collected photographs of the injuries, surveillance video of the alleged incident, and they were able to establish probable cause for this arrest,” Bess said.

When Ross first went to court, Judge Mindy Glazer ordered him to stay away from the alleged victim and turn over any guns, AllHipHop previously reported. That October 1 report also listed October 22 as the date set for his arraignment.

His lawyer challenged the claims and asked the public to let the case play out. In a statement after Ross’ release, Horenstein also questioned why Kendrick went to police about a month after the alleged attack, WSVN reported.