Stefon Diggs’ lawyer releases statement after not guilty ruling

Following the verdict in former New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs’s assault trial, Diggs’s lawyer, Mitch Schuster, spoke out. On Tuesday, Diggs was found not guilty in a December 2 assault of Jamila Adams via a pay dispute.

In the lawsuit, Adams, who served as Diggs’s live-in personal chef, said that Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument. The Diggs team argued that the assault didn’t happen, due to Adams’s actions in the days following the encounter and testimony from her friends saying that she did not appear injured following the alleged incident.

In his statement, Schuster maintained Diggs’s innocence and hinted at a broader trend of athletes being taken advantage of in legal disputes.

“We have taken these allegations seriously from day one and that’s exactly why we were eager for the facts to come to light through the legal process. Fame and financial success shouldn’t strip someone of their presumption of innocence, but too often, it does exactly that. And unfortunately, as is the case with unfounded claims—the damage starts the moment an accusation is filed, long before any facts are examined.

He added, “Professional athletes have a target on their back. When someone sees a uniform and a contract, they see leverage; they see a settlement. And they’re counting on that pressure in the court of public opinion to drive a default decision to settle regardless of the facts of the matter. The evidence has shown what we’ve maintained from day one: Mr. Diggs was wrongly accused, and this case represents exactly the kind of opportunistic targeting that players can face the moment they step off the field.”

Diggs was a key part of the New England Patriots’ most recent run to the Super Bowl, signing a 3-year, $169 million contract with the team. However, he was released in March following his historic 1,000-yard season.