Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Mum On Handling of Ray Rice Assault Case

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office is coming under fire for the way it handled the Ray Rice assault case, and it has so far remained quiet on the subject.

When contacted by Patch, Jay McKeen, a spokesman for the prosecutor, said his office will have no further comment on the situation.

McKeen’s response comes after the Monday release of a second, more graphic video showing the former Rutgers star punching his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator.

The video release by TMZ comes nearly four months after the then-Baltimore Ravens star entered into a pre-trial intervention program stemming from his assault on his then fiancee in Atlantic City,

Another video released soon after the incident took place in February showed Rice dragging his now-wife Janay Palmer out of an elevator, and at the time, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office told nj.com it had more videos of the incident.

The TMZ video released on Monday, gave a more graphic, visual account of Rice knocking Palmer unconscious before dragging her from the elevator.

The NFL claims it didn’t have possession of the video when it handed down a much-criticized two-game suspension for Rice. On Monday, the league suspended Rice indefinitely.

Rice was charged with aggravated assault after the incident in a Revel Casino elevator on Feb. 15. Initially, both were charged, but charges against Palmer were dropped, and the two were wed shortly after the incident.

A rumored plea deal called for Rice to serve between two and five years probation and pay a fine.

On May 20, the prosecutor announced Rice was entering into the intervention program, which is a diversionary program that ranges that permits first time offenders of third or fourth degree crimes to avoid prosecution.

At the time, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain said the decision was the best possible given “all relevant information in light of applicable law.”

That decision was met with immediate criticism from Assemblywoman Gabriela M. Mosquera (D-Camden), who told philly.com on Monday the decision is made more puzzling following the video’s release. Mosquera is the vice chair of the Women and Children Committee.

The office has also come under fire for its handling of this situation when compared with that of Shaneen Allen, who faces up to 11-and-a-half years for bringing a gun into New Jersey from Pennsylvania. She said she didn’t realize that was illegal, and has been denied access to the intervention program.