Manny Ramirez Domestic Violence Charge Dropped After Wife Won't Cooperate
Oakland A's outfielder Manny Ramirez's domestic violence charge has been dropped by a Florida prosecutor.
The state dismissed the charge after his wife, Juliana Ramirez, failed to cooperate with investigators, The Washington Post reports.
It's believed that Juliana is currently out of state, a representative for the Broward County State Attorney's Office said.
Domestic violence charges don't always depend on the victims' cooperation, but it appears that in Manny's case it might.
The former 2004 World Series MVP was first taken into police custody on September 12 after his wife called the cops. Juliana complained that Manny had slapped her across the face, which caused her head to smash into the headboard on the couple's bed, TMZ reports.
The State Attorney's Office attempted to serve a subpoena on Juliana, the alleged victim. They were unable to do so and subsequently dropped the domestic battery charge against Manny.
Domestic violence sentences can vary based on degree. In Florida, domestic battery may be charged as either a first degree misdemeanor or third degree felony.
If prosecutors had charged Manny with a misdemeanor, he could have faced up to 60 days to one year in jail, in addition to community service.
A felony conviction, on the other hand, could have landed Manny a sentence of up to five years imprisonment. The court could have also issued an injunction against Manny to stay away from his wife.
Manny began his MLB career in September 1993 with the Cleveland Indians. Since then, he has played for the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays.
Manny is currently set to be suspended for the first 50 games of this season due to a violation of MLB's drug policy.
For now, it appears that Manny Ramirez's domestic violence charges won't be coming back to haunt him. No reports indicate that the State Attorney's Office is planning any further action.
Related Resources:
- Fla. Prosecutor Drops Domestic Battery Charge Against Baseball Star Manny Ramirez (The Washington Post)
- Manny Ramirez Articles (FindLaw's Legal Pulse)
- Florida Domestic Violence Laws (FindLaw)
