Report: Prosecutor To Meet With Familia Before Deciding Whether To Proceed With Domestic Violence Case
FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- The prosecutor in Jeurys Familia's domestic violence case says he will meet with the Mets' closer and his wife this week before deciding whether to move forward.
Familia is due back in Fort Lee Municipal Court on Thursday morning. Fort Lee prosecutor Arthur Balsamo told Newsday he will meet with the couple just before the scheduled court appearance to determine whether there have been any other instances since the court removed an order of protection on Nov. 10.
Familia, 27, has pleaded not guilty to simple assault.
Last month, Familia's wife, Bianca, asked Balsamo to drop the charge. The prosecutor, however, can proceed with or without the alleged victim's cooperation.
The alleged incident took place around 2:20 a.m. on Oct. 31 inside an apartment on Park Avenue in Fort Lee, police said.
According to a criminal complaint, police said Familia caused "bodily injury to another" and that responding officers saw a scratch on the chest and bruise on the right cheek of the victim.
Whether or not the case is dropped, Familia could still serve a lengthy suspension from Major League Baseball. Last season, suspensions under baseball's new domestic violence policy ranged from 30 games to 82.
Familia was one of several New York sports figures who appear in the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence's new "#NotAFan" campaign. In one video, Familia said in Spanish: "I am a fan of baseball. I am a fan of the Mets. I am not a fan of domestic violence."
All of the ads involving Familia have been pulled.
The Dominican right-hander is coming off an All-Star season with the Mets, in which he recorded an MLB-leading 51 saves.
