JOHN RICH - RICH FACES UP TO ASSAULT CHARGES

RICH FACES UP TO ASSAULT CHARGES

Country singer JOHN RICH is confident he will be found not guilty of assault and harassment charges when his ongoing dispute with a wannabe singer goes to trial.
The Big & Rich star surrendered himself to police in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday (28May09) to face the charges, which stem from an April (09) altercation with Jared Ashley, a former competitor on U.S. reality TV show Nashville Star.
The contestant sued Rich over claims he punched him in the face. Rich then countersued, seeking compensation for defamation.
Rich was subsequently handed a settlement offer to pay Ashley $2.9 million (£1.9 million) to have the charges dropped but turned it down, maintaining his innocence.
And the star is convinced his fans will see he has done nothing wrong after the case is disputed in court.
Rich says in a statement, "I trust that the truth will come out through the process of our American justice system and that I will be completely exonerated at the end of the day."