A request for a speedy trial filed by the attorney for suspended Florida State running back Dalvin Cook was granted Wednesday.
Cook has been charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly punching a woman in the face several times outside a Tallahassee, Fla., bar on June 23. He had previously been scheduled for a Sept. 2 arraignment, but a judge on Wednesday scheduled the trial for the week of Aug. 24, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The move came after the Miami law firm of Farrell & Patel requested quicker action for Cook, who is barred from playing or practicing with the Seminoles while suspended.
One of Cook's attorneys, Ricky Patel, has said his client did not strike the alleged victim and that a plea agreement would not be acceptable.
Cook was absent from Wednesday's trial scheduling because he was attending a FSU hearing regarding the incident, Cook's attorney said.
After rushing for more than 1,000 yards on only 170 carries as a freshman last season, Cook had been expected to lead the Seminoles' offense this season following the departure of star quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The case has made his status with the team tenuous, though.
Over the weekend, FSU posed for a team photo and took pictures both with and without Cook.
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