A Norfolk County jury returned not-guilty verdicts on May 5, 2026, acquitting former New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery[1][2]. The charges arose from an alleged December 2025 incident at Diggs's Dedham, Massachusetts home, where his live-in personal chef, Jamila Adams, accused him of slapping and choking her during a dispute over unpaid wages[1][2]. The case proceeded to trial in Norfolk County District Court before Judge Jeanmarie Carroll, with the Commonwealth represented by prosecutor Drew Virtue of the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office and Diggs represented by Andrew Kettlewell and Mitchell Schuster[2][3].
The trial lasted two days and turned substantially on credibility[2]. Adams testified to the alleged physical altercation, while defense witnesses contested her account[2]. The jury, composed of five women and one man, deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before returning verdicts of not guilty on both counts[1][3]. No sentencing posture arises from the acquittals.
Because the charges were criminal and the jury returned acquittals on all counts, double jeopardy bars any retrial by the Commonwealth on these charges. Diggs, who had been released by the Patriots prior to trial, is now eligible to pursue NFL free agency without the criminal case as a pending legal impediment[1].