While his Cowboys teammates practiced for the first time, rookie Jourdan Lewis was in Ann Arbor, Mich., as his domestic assault case began Monday with jury selection and opening statements.
According to John Counts of mlive.com, Assistant Washtenaw County Prosecutor Lou Danner characterized the March 15 incident as a violent assault that started with three blows with a pillow.
“He did it hard,” Danner said, via Counts. “He used force behind it, and he knew he shouldn’t have.”
Lewis later dragged Nikole Miller, 21, across the floor and forcefully put his hands on her neck before leaving, Danner said in opening statements.
Lewis’ attorney, John Shea, said Lewis merely threw pillows at Miller after she woke him and confronted him about wasting “a few pennies worth of electricity” after falling asleep with the lights on.
“Throwing pillows at someone is not domestic assault by anyone’s definition,” Shea said.
Miller and Lewis are expected to testify Tuesday, with Shea telling the jury Monday that Miller had changed her story several times.
Five women and two men, all Ann Arbor residents, make up the jury.