Rick Ross’s arraignment in Miami was postponed Thursday, October 22, with his next court hearing now scheduled for November 6 as he continues fighting domestic violence allegations.
According to WSVN 7News, Ross was expected in a Miami courtroom Thursday morning for his arraignment on felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery charges. However, the hearing was rescheduled after his attorneys said prosecutors had not formally filed charges against their client.
That explanation comes from Ross’s defense team. Prosecutors have not publicly confirmed the claim in WSVN’s reporting, and the station did not cite a court finding establishing that formal charges remain unfiled.
The new hearing is scheduled for Friday, November 6. WSVN reports that Ross is not expected to attend that proceeding either.
The Rick Ross arraignment delay does not mean his case has been dismissed or that prosecutors have decided against pursuing charges. The rapper has already entered a not guilty plea through his attorney and continues to maintain his innocence.
Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, was arrested on October 1 after voluntarily surrendering to Miami Beach police.
According to ABC News, authorities booked the 50-year-old rapper on one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery. Both allegations involve domestic violence.
His attorney, Bradley Horenstein, submitted a not guilty plea on Ross’s behalf during the initial court proceedings. Defense attorney Steve Sadow is also representing the rapper.
The allegations stem from an August 28 incident at Ross’s Star Island residence in Miami Beach.
WSVN identified the accuser as Ross’s former girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick, who reported the alleged incident to police on September 29.
According to the arrest affidavit detailed by CBS News Miami, Kendrick told investigators that Ross became angry after seeing an Instagram photograph in which she had been tagged.
She alleged that Ross accused her of being involved with another person and repeatedly struck her during an argument.
The police report further alleges that Ross grabbed and twisted the collar of her hoodie, restricting her breathing. Kendrick also accused him of pulling her by her ponytail, slamming her against a wall and striking her face, leaving her with an injured lip.
Kendrick provided investigators with photographs documenting her reported injuries, according to CBS News Miami. Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from the residence, including video reportedly showing a friend arriving to pick her up.
Miami Beach Police spokesperson Christopher Bess said detectives collected evidence and established probable cause for Ross’s arrest. Those investigative findings do not establish that Ross committed the alleged offenses.
During his October 1 bond hearing, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer reviewed the arrest report and found probable cause.
CBS News Miami reported that Glazer set Ross’s bond at $5,000, consisting of $4,000 for the felony allegation and $1,000 for the misdemeanor count.
The judge also ordered Ross to have no direct or indirect contact with the accuser, including through social media or third parties. He was instructed to surrender his firearms and prohibited from possessing weapons while the case remained pending.
The hearing drew additional attention when Horenstein mentioned Ross’s celebrity status while requesting an expedited release.
Glazer rejected the suggestion that his fame should affect the proceedings, telling Ross he would receive the same fair treatment as anyone else appearing before the court.
Ross posted bond and was released later that day.
Speaking with reporters outside the jail, Ross firmly rejected the accusations.
“First and foremost, I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me,” he said, according to WSVN.
His attorneys subsequently issued a statement disputing the allegations and questioning the month-long period between the alleged incident and the police report.
In a statement published by Pitchfork, Sadow and Horenstein maintained that Ross had been wrongfully accused and asked the public to allow the judicial process to continue without prejudging the case.
The latest postponement introduces a separate question about the prosecution’s paperwork.
Under Florida’s criminal procedure rules, attorneys may submit a written not guilty plea before an arraignment. That procedural step is distinct from a prosecutor’s decision to file formal criminal charges.
