Ohio State running back Jaamal Berry pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Berry was suspended from the football team eight weeks ago after being charged with assault, battery and disorderly conduct.
The charges were based on an incident that occurred Oct. 21 at 2:20 a.m. in the Arena District in downtown Columbus, involving Berry and a Columbus State Community College student.
Jury time for the case was waived, according to court documents. This creates a slower paced case, and the first hearing date will be set sometime in the next week or so, said Robert Tobias, the assistant city prosecutor assigned to the case, on Tuesday afternoon.
Tobias also reached out to the victim Tuesday morning to offer a criminal protection order, but was unsuccessful in reaching him.
Lawyers for Berry and the victim were unavailable for comment by telephone Tuesday afternoon.
In the incident, the plaintiff was “struck in the face with a closed fist,” according to the Columbus police report.
The plaintiff was treated at the hospital following the incident for injuries to his head, face, neck, back and hand. He was also ruled as having a possible concussion and eye damage, said Edwin Hollern, the plaintiff’s attorney, on Oct. 27.
Hollern previously said the remedy for the incident is compensatory damages and punitive damages, asking each in excess of $25,000, according to court documents.
On Sept. 28, Berry was involved in what an OSU police report described as an “assault” on another student. Berry was admitted and released from the OSU Medical Center and no charges were filed. In this incident, two males were witnessed “wrestling on the ground” in the South Oval, according to a police report.
In 2009, Berry was arrested on a marijuana possession charge in Miami, Fla.
Berry dressed for the Michigan State game on Oct. 1, the first game after his Sept. 28 incident. He was also dressed for the Wisconsin game on Oct. 29, the first game after he was named in a lawsuit for the second incident. The Buckeyes are set to play Florida in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., on Jan. 2.
