CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns pleaded not guilty Monday to misdemeanor harassment and assault charges that stemmed from a disturbance with his wife. A trial was set for Feb. 5 in Arapahoe County Court for Droughns, who missed practice on Monday in Berea, Ohio, to attend the pretrial conference. He is expected to practice with the Browns on Tuesday. Droughns is accused of throwing his wife, Kellie, to the ground and onto a bed before throwing her outside and locking the door during a May 12 altercation at their suburban Denver home. Droughns, who played for the Denver Broncos until a trade last year, could get six to 18 months in jail if convicted of assault, and up to six months if convicted of harassment. Days before his arrest on the domestic charges, a jury in the Cleveland suburb of Medina acquitted Droughns of drunken driving. It was determined that he was not impaired by alcohol when a state trooper stopped him Nov. 1. Droughns, who rushed for 1,232 yards last season, apologized in June for ``bringing this negative attention to the team once again.'' Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. |
