Astros’ Roberto Osuna Signs Peace Bond, Assault Charge Withdrawn

Charges were withdrawn after the plaintiff in a domestic violence case against Houston Astros pitcher Roberto Osuna refused to testify in court.

Astros’ Roberto Osuna Agrees to Peace Bond

The high-profile domestic violence case against Osuna was withdrawn on Tuesday after the 23-year-old Houston Astros closer — who is from Mexico — agreed to a peace bond in Ontario provincial court.

Osuna was still a member of the Toronto Blue Jays when he was charged with assault in an alleged domestic violence incident with Alejandra Roman Cota, the mother of his three-year-old son, back in May.

Major League Baseball decided to suspend the closer for 75 games without pay for violating its domestic violence policy.

Osuna was then traded to Houston in July and received a chorus of boos as he took the mound in their series opener against Toronto on Monday.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Speaking in Ontario court, prosecutor Catherine Mullaly said the complainant, Cota, refused to return to Toronto to testify against the defendant.

Cota, who is in her early 20s, returned to Mexico shortly after the charges were made against Osuna. As a Mexican citizen, Canadian authorities could not compel her to take the witness stand.

“The Crown does not have a reasonable prospect of conviction on this charge absent her testimony,” Mullaly told Judge Melvyn Green. “Upon signing the recognizance, the Crown will withdraw the charge.”

Osuna, who attended the hearing in Toronto, signed a peace bond that requires him to have no contact with Cota for a year and to continue counseling. If Osuna breaks the terms of the peace bond, he could face criminal charges, which would carry a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.

In a conversation with Toronto Det. Vivian Meik, Roman Cota said she had no fears for her safety and wanted to resume contact and parenting responsibilities with Osuna, the court heard.

“I am pleased and relieved by today’s court decision,” Osuna said in a statement. “Now I can begin to put these allegations behind me and focus on baseball. I want to thank my family, teammates, and fans for believing in me. I am grateful to the Astros for providing me with the opportunity to play baseball and compete for a World Series championship. I will make no further comments about this matter, as I plan on moving past this and look only to the future.”

Osuna’s lawyer Domenic Basile told the court that his client’s agreement to enter the peace bond was not an admission of guilt and that the player had insisted his innocence all along.

“I wish to make it clear that this is not an admission of criminal or civil liability,” Basile said. “He is content to enter into the peace bond (and) is aware of the conditions and will abide by the conditions.”

Houston also released a statement, saying that they “look forward to Roberto continuing his commitment to be a productive and caring part of our community.”

“The Astros remain committed to increase our support regarding the issues of domestic violence and abuse of any kind,” the team said in a statement. “We have engaged with a number of local, state, and national organization — and we look forward to working with them in the short term and over the long term.”

Article by Dewayne Goforth