(Reuters) – The hearing on Ray Rice’s appeal of his indefinite suspension by the National Football League for domestic violence has tentatively been set for Nov. 5 and 6, sources close to the situation told Reuters on Tuesday.
Rice was originally suspended for two games for knocking out his then-fiancee at a New Jersey casino in February. When video later emerged of the altercation, he was cut by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
The union contends that Rice was punished twice for the same offense. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell maintains the video, which he said he had not seen until it went viral last month, constituted new evidence against Rice.
Former U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones was chosen as the neutral arbitrator and it is up to her if Goodell testifies in the case.
Goodell admitted he erred in originally suspending Rice just two games and later toughened the NFL’s penalties for domestic violence incidents.
