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On Thursday, Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon was found not guilty on allegations of aggravated menacing.
The alleged incident took place one day before the AFC divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills on January 21. The state alleged Mixon pulled a gun on a woman following road rage and said he should shoot her in the face.
“The standard of reasonable doubt is the highest standard that we have in our justice system, as it should be,” Hamilton County Judge Gwen Bender said before announcing her ruling.
If Joe Mixon had been convicted, he could have faced up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Mixon’s defense attorneys argued that the woman was enraged and was not under the belief that Mixon would cause serious harm, which is the basis of aggravated menacing under Ohio law.
City attorney Tim Horsley established that the woman was headed to work and had no idea Mixon was driving the vehicle until charges were initially filed. The case was initially dismissed in February to allow the city more time to investigate further before it eventually refiled the case in April.
“No explanation is provided for why she would make all this up, and she’s able to identify the person and the vehicle and so forth,” Horsley said.
In closing arguments, R. Scott Croswell, Mixon’s co-counsel, did not dispute the claim that Mixon was driving erratically and cut off the woman, which was backed up by video evidence that was introduced in court.
The Bengals made a statement that they were “pleased that this matter is now behind everyone.”
This concludes one of Joe Mixon’s legal issues this summer while he has another civil suit filed against him and members of his family for a March incident where a 16-year-old was shot at his home.
The lawsuit was made by the teenager’s legal guardian saying Mixon provided the gun and bullets for Mixon’s sister’s boyfriend who was shot and hit the boy. The boy sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
As Mixon takes a pay cut with his Bengals remaining a consistent contender despite QB Joe Burrow’s temporary foot injury, Cincinnati hopes to have another run to the Super Bowl this season.