FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers, who in early October pleaded not guilty after being arrested on charges that include strangulation and drug possession, was removed from the commissioner exempt list, the league announced Monday.
A jury trial is scheduled for Jan. 22 for Peppers, which was set last Friday at a pretrial hearing in Quincy, Massachusetts.
At the pretrial hearing, Peppers' attorney told the judge that as part of a possible civil lawsuit, a $10.5 million demand was made by the plaintiff, which Peppers turned down.
"It technically may not be extortion but is highly probative and tells you what this case is all about," attorney Marc Brofsky said.