Prosecutor: Rice Wouldn't Have Faced Jail Time, Even if Convicted

By Anthony Bellano

After coming under fire for his office’s decision to allow former Baltimore Raven Ray Rice to enter into a pre-trial intervention program following his assault on his now wife in February, Atlantic County New Jersey Prosecutor Jim McClain explained to The Press of Atlantic City that Rice never would have faced jail time.

McClain said that because Rice was charged with third-degree aggravated assault, he likely would’ve faced probation rather than incarceration, according to the report.

Rice would’ve had to have caused serious or permanent bodily harm to Janay Palmer to result in second-degree charges, according to the report.

McClain spoke to The Press of Atlantic City after two days of silence on the issue following TMZ’s release of a surveillance video from inside a Revel Casino elevator that showed Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious.

The graphic nature of the video sparked additional outrage, leading to Rice’s firing from the Ravens and an indefinite suspension by the NFL.

McClain said the video was enough to convict Rice, even without Palmer’s testimony, and Rice likely would have received two years probation, according to the report.

The incident took place on Feb. 15. Shortly thereafter, Rice and Palmer were married. On May 20, the New Jersey prosecutor’s office announced Rice would enter the 12-month PTI program.

Following that announcement, the NFL suspended Rice for the first two games of the season, a penalty that drew much criticism.

After the release of the second video on Monday, the Baltimore Ravens released Rice. The NFL then suspended him indefinitely, and questions about the way prosecutors handled the investigation arose.

Rice is synonymous with Rutgers football and a former Super Bowl champion. He holds 11 Rutgers University rushing records, including career yards and career touchdowns. He was drafted by the Ravens in 2008, and won Super Bowl XLVII with the team following the 2012 season.

For more, visit pressofatlanticcity.com.

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