Suffolk County prosecutors dropped indecent assault and battery charges against Patriots receiverdefensive back Julian Edelman on Friday, saying "it would not be able to meet its burden at trial of proving each of the elements of indecent assault and battery beyond a reasonable doubt".
Edelman was arrested after a Halloween party after allegedly reaching under a woman's costume and grabbing her between the legs. According to a press release from the district attorney's office:
"The evidence suggests that he approached a woman on the dance floor and took her hand briefly. Review of the videotape indicates that the physical contact between the two was fleeting, prosecutors say, and did not meet the elements of any crime.
"To constitute indecent assault and battery, physical contact must be intentional; potentially physically harmful or an affront to the victims integrity; fundamentally offensive to contemporary moral values; and without justification or excuse. Prosecutors could not prove these elements with the evidence contained in the surveillance imagery, witness statements, and other sources."
Edelman released a statement through the Patriots on Thursday saying,"I am very appreciative of the hard work of the County's public officials and of my attorney Amy McNamee. I am humbled by the support of my teammates and the Patriots organization. I'm just looking forward to focusing on football."