The judge overseeing the Reuben Foster criminal case will decide by next week whether the case will go to trial after the San Francisco 49ers linebacker's former girlfriend recanted her domestic violence accusations against him.
After listening to hours of testimony at Foster's preliminary hearing in San Jose on Thursday, California Superior Court Judge Nona Klippen said she will review the evidence and rule on Wednesday whether Foster will stand trial on felony domestic violence and weapons charges.
The development comes after Elissa Ennis testified Foster never hit her and that she made false accusations in order to extort money from him and ruin his career because she was angry over their breakup, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. Ennis also testified that she went to jail in 2011 after she falsely accused another former boyfriend of domestic violence.
"I was lying about a lot of stuff," Ennis testified while fighting back tears, according to Inman. "It was all a money scheme. I didn't want to get this far in the news."
The testimony came roughly three weeks after Ennis originally recanted her accusations in a statement released by her attorney, Stephanie Rickard. In a statement released to NFL.com, Rickard said her client's injuries were sustained during a fight she had with another woman. Rickard also provided prosecutors with video footage of the incident which she said exonerated Foster.
"We continue to monitor all developments in the matter," a league spokesperson said in a statement to NFL.com Thursday.
Foster, 24, has not participated in the 49ers' offseason program since being charged in mid-April and will not take part in the start of organized team activities on Monday. Regardless of whether he continues to face criminal prosecution, he remains subject to potential NFL discipline under the league's personal conduct policy.
