Diddy’s Protege Pleads Not Guilty In Stabbing Case

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Diddy’s Protege Pleads Not Guilty In Stabbing Case

Posted at 09/01/2009 by Staff 0 Comment

stokes1 According to MTV News:

Making the Band 2″ alumna Sara Stokes was in Riverside County Court in California on Friday to enter a not-guilty plea to one charge of assault with a deadly weapon. Stokes, the former Diddy protégé, was arrested August 2 after allegedly stabbing her husband, Tony, with a weapon in the presence of her three children.

A court spokesperson confirmed to MTV News that Stokes was present in court and was assigned a public defender before entering her plea. Stokes is due back in court September 9.

Though a mug shot portrayed Stokes with bruises above and below her left eye and a bloodied nose, a lawyer for the former Da Band member released a statement following the arrest in which he said the couple were having “fun” when she fell and her husband tended to her.

“Sara and Tony have a very passionate and loving relationship that on August 2, while having an evening of fun, she slipped and fell, hitting her head heavily on the ground and somehow in the process of helping her Tony got injured,” attorney Eric Kayira said. Kayira could not be reached for comment at press time.

Stokes was part of the first group put together by Diddy on “Making the Band,” Da Band, which also included Chopper, Fred Watson, Babs, Ness and reggae vocalist Dylan. The group released one album, Too Hot for TV, in 2003 but failed to capture the public’s attention and was dismantled after season three of the show.

According to TMZ, Stokes and police gave differing versions of what happened on the night of her arrest. Stokes’ manager said the couple were by the pool when Stokes tripped and hit her face and when her husband tried to get something to clean her off he accidentally cut his arm on knives in the kitchen sink. Meanwhile, police said Stokes stormed out of the house after a screaming match with her husband, fell over and blamed him for tripping her and then allegedly grabbed a knife and stabbed his arm in the presence of the children.