With former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice accepted into a pretrial intervention program that included no jail time for his felony aggravated assault case, the Atlantic City prosecutor's office is defending its decision.
Rice punched his wife, Janay, in a video captured by casino surveillance.
"Mr. Rice received the same treatment by the criminal justice system in Atlantic County that any first-time offender has, in similar circumstances," Jay McKeen, a spokesman for the Atlantic County prosecutor's office, said. "The decision was correct."
New Jersey Senate president Steve Sweeney says attorney general John Hoffman should review the decision-making process.
"This video and the violence it shows is extremely disturbing," Sweeney said in a statement. "It is a vivid reminder that domestic violence is a serious problem that can't be ignored and shouldn't be treated lightly."
Judge Michae A. Donio approved the prosecutor's decision.
Rice was ordered to undergo anger management and be supervised in a probationery period for a year to complete the program. Rice has attended weekly counseling sessions.
Jim McCain, the acting prosecutor, issued the following statement on the approval of Rice's request for pretrial intervention: "After careful consideration of the information contained in Mr. Rice's application in light of all of the facts gathered during the investigation."
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Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun