The Cuyahoga County Grand Jury refused to file charges against Oakland Raiders first-round pick Gareon Conley in connection with a sexual assault allegation thrown against him in April. According to Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley, the Grand Jury returned a No Bill on all possible charges, meaning a case won’t be filed against Conley, who was drafted No. 24 by the Raiders in the 2017 NFL Draft. O’Malley said the Grand Jury based its decision on the facts and circumstances from a thorough investigation conducted by the Cleveland Police Department.
With the development, Conley’s lawyer, Kevin Spellacy, told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport that his client is now vindicated and looks forward to contributing in the National Football League. The 22-year-old Conley claimed in May that he had a consensual sexual encounter with the woman who accused him of sexual assault on April 9. Because the charge happened before the Draft, Conley will not be subjected to NFL discipline.
Assault accusation caused drop in Conley’s draft stock
The accusation caused Conley’s draft stock to drop. Conley was expected to be a top-10 pick, but he dropped to No. 24 with the Raiders, who took a chance on the cornerback despite the accusation against him. Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said the team did more than due diligence before taking Conley, who signed his rookie contract with the team last week.
Cowboys rusher Ezekiel Elliott still in hot water
While Conley is out of the woods, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott remains in hot water as the NFL has yet to issue a decision on a potential discipline on the second-year rusher, who was accused of domestic violence by a former girlfriend. Earlier, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell formed a four-member independent panel to review Elliott’s case before he makes a decision on potential discipline.
Elliott met with NFL officials in New York earlier this month, with the four independent advisers present.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the league has issued no firm timeline for a potential disciplinary decision by Goodell. However, a decision might come out before the start of the regular season. The woman accused Elliott of hitting her several times on separate occasions and not allowing her to leave the apartment last July.
However, the Columbus (Ohio) City Attorney's Office did not file charges against Elliott due to “conflicting and inconsistent information." Elliott made an immediate impact in his rookie year, leading the NFL in rushing yards with 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns.
