US women’s basketball club, Dallas Wings’ Nigerian-born star, Arike Ogunbowale has avoided a stiff sentence, after being cleared of a charge of physical assault against her following a brawl at a Miami night club, Sports247 reports.
Against all fear that the former Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) most valuable player (MVP) could be hit with a jail term on account of the incident, Ogunbowale has sensationally been left off the hook without going to court.
The four-time WNBA All-Star might have been cleared following a plea bargain and, although she insisted there was no guilt against her in the case, the Nigerian-born ace pledged to be of good conduct subsequently.
A report by Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports revealed, “Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale won’t face charges following a March arrest for battery (as she) had all charges against her dropped.
“Ogunbowale, 29, was arrested in March after she allegedly punched a security staff. That staff member was reportedly escorting Ogunbowale out of the establishment as part of an ‘unrelated altercation’ when the alleged punch occurred.
“Footage from the arrest confirmed the victim’s statements. The incident took place hours after Ogunbowale helped Mist BC win the Unrivaled championship. (She) was charged with misdemeanor battery and was able to post her $1,000 bail
“In April, she pleaded not guilty to the battery charge. No future court dates were set for Ogunbowale following that appearance. Shortly after that, Ogunbowale agreed to a new deal with The Wings.”
Further information from ESPN revealed that the State Attorney’s Office in Miami explained that the case was dropped at a hearing on Wednesday morning via nolle prossed, meaning the prosecutor withdrew criminal charges before it went to trial.
Ogunbowale’s attorney, Mitch Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster stated afterwards, “We are pleased that the State Attorney’s Office has exercised its discretion and elected not to move forward with this matter.
“Ms. Ogunbowale is a person of outstanding character, and we are excited that these charges have been dismissed so she can resume her focus on her professional career.”
