Woods pleads not guilty to two felony charges

Andy Alberto

Suspended Florida Atlantic receiver KalibWoods waived his arraignment scheduled for next month and pled not guilty to two felony battery charges, according to Palm Beach County court records.

According to a notice filed by attorney Michael A. Gottlieb on Thursday, Woods cancelled his scheduled July 20 arraignment and requested a trial by jury. The charges stem from an alleged January fight at The Venue banquet hall in Boca Raton.

Adrian Muckle and Stephan Reese accused a shirtless Woods of approaching them there in the early morning hours of Jan. 13. Both Muckle and Reese told investigators that Woods attempted to punch Muckle, but instead hit Reese in the face.

Muckle told police he was knocked to the floor and then stomped on by Woods “as well as others that were involved.” According to a police report, Reese suffered a broken jaw and later underwent surgery to repair it, including wiring it shut. Muckle spent five days in the hospital due to internal bleeding, he told police.

Police obtained surveillance video fromTheVenue in February and “saw Kalib strike Adrian and Stephan several times with a closed fist. Stephan and Adrian were kicked several times while laying defenseless on the ground. Adrian and Stephan didn’t attempt to punch or kick Kalib during the entire incident.”

The conflict stemmed from a foul during a basketball game over a year ago, Reese told police. Muckle told investigators that Woods previously used Twitter to threaten to assault him. Police entered Twitter messages between Woods andMuckle into evidence, a police report said.

Police contacted Woods twice — once by phone and once in person— in January about the incident, the report said. Both times, Woods admitted to being at The Venue but told police hewas not involved and did not witness any altercation.