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Verdict in Dedham
A jury in Massachusetts returned a not guilty verdict on strangulation and assault and battery charges brought against NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs, rejecting Jamila “Mila” Adams’ account of a Dec. 2, 2025 incident at Diggs’ home in Dedham.
“A jury in Massachusetts returned a not guilty verdict on strangulation and assault and battery charges”
The trial spanned May 4 and 5 at Norfolk County District Court in Dedham, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, and the jury deliberated for roughly 90 minutes.
USA Today reported that the jury returned a not guilty verdict on both counts after a brief return to the courtroom to ask Judge Jeanmarie Carroll a question.
The Boston Globe said the jury reached its verdict to acquit Diggs on all charges after less than two hours of deliberation.
The New York Times reported that Diggs, who has played 11 seasons in the NFL, was found not guilty on Tuesday of assault, battery and strangulation of a female private chef.
Sports Illustrated similarly said Diggs was found not guilty after a two day trial and 90 minutes of deliberation on Tuesday.
After the verdict, a Diggs representative said, "No assault ever occurred," while Mitch Schuster told reporters, "We were always very confident, and this was Stef’s desire, to have the truth exposed."
Allegations and timeline
The case centered on what Jamila Adams, known as Mila, said happened on Dec. 2, 2025, at Stefon Diggs’ home in Dedham, where she testified that Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument.
USA Today said Adams accused Diggs of choking and slapping her at his home in December 2025, and it identified the alleged conduct as Diggs entering her bedroom and “smacked me with an open hand.”
The New York Times said Adams claimed in an incident report obtained by The Athletic that Diggs slapped and choked her over a pay dispute.
The Killeen Daily Herald (AP) reported that Adams testified Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument and that Diggs had pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge.
NBC Boston said the accuser reported the incident on Dec. 16, 2025, which the recap described as “14 days after she said that it happened.”
Multiple outlets described the alleged strangulation mechanics in Adams’ testimony, including that she said Diggs wrapped his arm around her neck and choked her, leaving her struggling to breathe.
The defense framed the dispute as a money and relationship conflict, with ABC7 Chicago and ESPN describing disagreement over payment and a planned trip to Miami, and with Sports Illustrated saying the defense argued Adams was “motivated by a financial dispute.”
Courtroom arguments and quotes
During the trial, both sides argued over whether prosecutors could prove the elements of assault and battery and strangulation beyond a reasonable doubt, and the jury asked Judge Jeanmarie Carroll for clarification about the criteria.
“the jury asked for clarification on the criteria for assault and battery and strangulation charges”
The Boston Globe reported that at around 4:15 p.m. the jury asked for clarification on the criteria for assault and battery and strangulation charges, and Carroll reiterated that Diggs is charged with touching Adams without consent and that he intended to touch the accuser.
The Boston Globe quoted Carroll’s explanation that to prove assault and battery, prosecutors have to prove that Diggs touched Jamila Adams, intended to do so, and did so in a way that caused harm or was likely to do so, or was offensive, meaning without consent.
It also said Carroll told jurors that to prove strangulation, prosecutors must prove that Diggs intentionally applied pressure to Adams’s neck in a substantial manner that impeded her breathing.
USA Today described that the jury deliberated for roughly 90 minutes and included a brief return to the courtroom to ask Judge Jeanmarie Carroll a question.
In closing arguments, defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell told jurors that prosecutors had not presented “a single shred of credible evidence” that an assault occurred, and he said, “There was no assault, no strangulation, no incident at all on that day or any other day,” according to the Killeen Daily Herald (AP).
Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue urged jurors not to dismiss Adams’ testimony because she was not “a perfect witness,” and he said, “She was argumentative, avoidant, difficult. But does that mean you should throw away everything she said? No,” as quoted by ESPN and ABC7 Chicago.
Money dispute and credibility
A recurring theme in testimony was whether the alleged assault was tied to a pay dispute and the credibility of Jamila Adams’ account, with multiple outlets describing her financial demands and the defense’s focus on motive.
The Killeen Daily Herald (AP) reported that defense attorneys pressed Adams about money she said she was owed after working as a live-in chef, and it said she testified she was paid about $2,000 a week and believed she had not been fully compensated after being sent home.
That same report said the defense pointed to a $19,000 demand and that the amount increased over time, with her attorney later seeking $5.5 million.
ESPN and ABC7 Chicago both described that when asked about the $5.5 million claim, Adams said, “I can’t speak on that,” and at other points told jurors, “I don’t understand the question” and “I don’t know how to answer the question.”
The Los Angeles Times said the jury rejected Adams’ account and described that she reportedly sought $5.5 million from him after reporting the incident, while also noting she provided no photographs, video or medical evidence of the injuries she alleged.
USA Today said the police report was filed Dec. 16 and that Adams initially didn’t press charges but did a week later, and it said lawyers questioned Adams about why she waited to file the police report and press charges.
The New York Post described a moment in which Diggs’ lawyer asked whether Adams’ lawyers demanded $5.5 million from Diggs three weeks before trial, and it quoted Adams responding, “That is client-lawyer privilege. I cannot speak on that.”
Aftermath and NFL review
The verdict cleared Stefon Diggs of the criminal charges in the Massachusetts case and set up questions about his next steps in the NFL, with outlets describing his free-agent status and the possibility of discipline under the league’s personal conduct policy.
“"We have been monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy,"”
The New York Times said Diggs, 32, is currently a free agent after being released by the Patriots in March, and it added that he had been the team’s leading receiver in 2025 with 1,013 yards as he helped the Pats reach the Super Bowl.
Sports Illustrated said Diggs remains a free agent and that the Patriots released him in March, leaving the former four-time Pro Bowler in search of a new team.
CBS Sports said the verdict paves the way for Diggs, an NFL free agent, to sign with a new team ahead of the 2026 season, and it quoted a defense attorney saying, "Any team that signs him will be lucky to have him."
ESPN reported that the acquittal clears a path for Diggs’ return to the field but that he still could face discipline from the NFL, quoting NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy saying, "We have been monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy."
USA Today said Diggs was released by the Patriots in March and that he did not speak with reporters as he climbed into the backseat of a black Escalade.
NBC Boston said the Patriots released him in March, freeing $16.8 million in salary cap space for the team, and it added that he is yet to sign with another team.
