Prosecutors Drop Felony Charge Against Rick Ross in Miami Beach Case

Prosecutors in Miami have dropped a felony charge of battery by strangulation against Rick Ross, leaving the rapper to face a single misdemeanor count of battery/domestic violence. NBC's South Florida station reported the reduction nearly a month after Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts II, turned himself in to Miami Beach Police to face domestic violence charges. Roberts will be arraigned on Friday and has pleaded not guilty.

What does the reduced charge mean for the case?

The original charges stemmed from an alleged incident on Aug. 28 at Roberts' home on Star Island. An anonymous woman, who identified herself as the rapper's live-in girlfriend, told police the two had argued over whether she had lied to him. According to her account, the dispute escalated until Roberts allegedly slapped her, "restricted her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie," and hit her against a wall.

Police said the woman "provided photographic evidence of her injuries with time stamps coinciding with the event," according to NBC. Reports of the incident first surfaced in early October.

The case no longer carries the felony count, but the misdemeanor charge of battery/domestic violence remains in play. Roberts' arraignment on Friday will set the course for what follows.

What did police say at the time of the arrest?

Miami Beach Police spokesman Christopher Bess defended the arrest when news broke. "Not only were our investigators able to obtain a victim statement, but they 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. "It paints a picture of a very violent attack."

The department's evidence, as described by Bess, went beyond the accuser's statement. It included photographs of injuries, surveillance video and a finding of probable cause supporting the arrest.

How has the rapper responded?

Roberts' lawyer, Brad Horenstein, forcefully denied the allegations in early October while awaiting word on which charges prosecutors would pursue.

"Mr. Ross is innocent," Horenstein said. "There are serious doubts about this case. These are fabrications. We asked you to hold your judgment and wait because the truth will come out."

Horenstein did not immediately return Rolling Stone's request for comment on the reduced charges.

Who is the accuser?

The woman remains anonymous in the official paperwork. However, a woman named Jazzma Kendrick posted a series of allegations against Roberts on social media in September that aligned with the claims against him.

"The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left," Kendrick wrote in an Instagram Story at the time. "I don't know a lot of things, but I do know that a man that puts his hands on me, is a man that never loved me and never will."

Roberts has pleaded not guilty, and Friday's arraignment will determine the next procedural steps in a case that has already shifted shape once with the prosecution's decision to abandon the felony count.