Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that a trial date was set for March 13 at 9:30 a.m. at Albemarle County Circuit Court. A status hearing was set for March 13 at 9:30 a.m. at Albemarle County Circuit Court. At the time of correction, a trial has not been set. The article has been updated to reflect this change.
Judge Cheryl Higgins granted bond Wednesday morning for former Virginia football wide receiver Jahmal Edrine. The 22-year-old faces one count of rape and one count of abduction stemming from an alleged incident Aug. 24. He was arrested Feb. 5 after an Albemarle County grand jury returned indictments Feb. 2.
Judge Higgins set Edrine’s bond at $25,000 following a lengthy bail hearing in Albemarle County Circuit Court, despite strong objections from the Commonwealth which argued the former student-athlete poses a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Edrine appeared in court represented by his attorney Rhonda Quagliana. The hearing revealed new details regarding the allegations and investigation that led to Edrine’s arrest earlier this month.
The defense called Edrine’s mother, Maria Beliard, as its witness. Beliard testified that she raised Edrine as a single mother in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where she works as a medical assistant.
She stated she is currently staying at Edrine’s Charlottesville apartment and described him as having close ties to his family. Beliard testified that Edrine has no passport and no history of police or disciplinary issues.
During cross-examination, Beliard told the court she learned of the allegations against her son in late September or early October. She stated that she has never been contacted by the complainant or the complainant’s family, and does not know the complainant personally. She also stated she has the ability to pay a bondsman.
Quagliana argued that Edrine, who transferred to Virginia in 2025 after two, two-year stints at Florida Atlantic University and Purdue, is not a flight risk. She noted that he turned himself in to law enforcement and his lease in Charlottesville runs through January 2027.
The defense proposed a $25,000 bond with a GPS ankle monitor and no contact with the complainant, stating a bondsman had agreed to provide the monitoring.
The Commonwealth opposed the bond motion, with the memo originally filed by Edrine’s defense Monday, citing the serious nature of the charges and Edrine’s lack of permanent ties to the area following his recent removal from the football roster and unenrollment from the University.
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Susan Baumgartner challenged the defense’s characterization of the evidence, stating that the bond motion filed by Edrine’s defense contains misstatements and inconsistencies.
Baumgartner told the court the Commonwealth has reviewed approximately 150 pages of text messages between the parties that contradict the claim of a consensual encounter. According to the prosecution, of approximately 400 messages exchanged, 320 were sent by Edrine and 80 by the complainant. Baumgartner stated that the text message exchanges began Aug. 24, the date of the alleged rape and abduction.
Baumgartner detailed the alleged victim’s timeline, noting she sought a medical exam shortly after the Aug. 24 incident due to bleeding, but was initially turned away from a local hospital because she had not yet filed a police report. The alleged victim reported the incident to Albemarle County Police Aug. 25.
Baumgartner argued it is clear from the initial communications that consent was not present during the alleged incident. Baumgartner told the court the alleged rape occurred as the complainant was about to leave for the airport to return to her home in Florida. According to the Commonwealth, Edrine pulled the complainant's jacket, preventing her from leaving his apartment and the jacket was ripped during the encounter.
The prosecution stated that Edrine urged the alleged victim not to report the alleged incident to protect “everything I’ve worked for,” and asked for her to “fix this.” Edrine reportedly texted the alleged victim, “It was your dream come true,” — referring to the alleged sexual encounter.
Baumgartner presented messages dated Aug. 26 at 7:02 p.m., in which Edrine apologized for the alleged incident and said to the alleged victim, "Hope you enjoyed yourself until… yk," to which the complainant reportedly responded that Edrine repeatedly sending her money via CashApp did not make up for the alleged incident. In an exchange read by Baumgartner, the alleged victim wrote, “I told you no twice... three times,” and “you don’t know what no means.”
Baumgartner argued the complainant felt exploited by Edrine, citing a text from Sept. 9 in which she reportedly wrote, “You flew me out there just to have sex with me and I didn’t know that.” Baumgartner stated the complainant attempted to reimburse Edrine for the cost of her travels, expressing that she felt he had “violated” her and “tried to sell her off.”
The defense then made its case, in which Quagliana challenged the Commonwealth’s characterization of the text messages. The defense also introduced audio recordings between the alleged victim and Albemarle County Police that reportedly occurred between Aug. 25 and Aug. 28.
In one recording played for the court, the alleged victim reportedly stated that she did not believe she was raped. In a recording of a different phone call, police reportedly stated “You’re saying that a rape didn’t happen?”
In another recording during the complainant’s report in August, Albemarle County Police can be heard telling the complainant that because of how she felt about the incident, they would not move forward with charges at that time, though they would still collect Edrine’s DNA and complete the investigation. Police also said they were “not going to do press releases to protect you and frankly… Jahmal.”
The defense argued that the accuser continued to communicate with Edrine voluntarily after the alleged incident through the rest of August and into September. Quagliana cited a text message in which the complainant stated she was getting a rape kit “just to make sure I didn't catch nothing.”
Quagliana also cited text messages dated Aug. 27 in which the complainant asked Edrine if he was okay, messages dated Aug. 29 in which the complainant asked if Edrine would call her after his football practice and referenced attending an upcoming football game and messages dated Aug. 31 in which the alleged victim complained to Edrine that he was not responding to her calls and texts.
The defense also introduced text messages dated Sept. 5, in which the complainant reportedly informed Edrine that she was pregnant because Plan B emergency contraception had failed. Quagliana stated the texts detailed that the complainant had vomited after taking the medication.
The defense argued these personal exchanges, occurring nearly two weeks after the alleged incident, demonstrate that the complainant continued to confide in Edrine regarding intimate personal matters. The Commonwealth objected to the introduction of this evidence, citing concerns over the complainant's personal medical privacy.
Quagliana argued that these text communications demonstrate the complainant was not afraid of Edrine and was not being pressured to maintain contact with him. The defense contended that the accusation stemmed from anger over an “unintended bodily emission” rather than non-consensual intercourse.
The Commonwealth rebutted that, rather than suggesting the alleged victim’s continued contact with Edrine proved his innocence, the sustained communication was rather an attempt to rationalize the alleged incident and is a normal occurrence in a rape case.
After hearing arguments, the judge cited Edrine’s lack of criminal history and his compliance with law enforcement throughout the investigation in granting the $25,000 bond.
Edrine must comply with strict conditions upon release, including that he must have no contact with the complainant and not host any women in his apartment that are not biologically related to him.
Judge Higgins also ruled that Edrine must remain under supervision by Offender Aid and Restoration. Edrine must report to OAR within 48 hours of his release and may not leave Virginia without court approval, including to return to his home state of Florida.
The court also ordered both parties to file all relevant text messages as a joint exhibit by Friday. Discovery is expected to be exchanged within a week.
A status hearing is set for March 13 at 9:30 a.m. at Albemarle County Circuit Court.
Lauren Seeliger and Eleanor Lynch contributed reporting.
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