Antonio Brown made his first Florida court appearance Wednesday morning, and he's walking free for now.
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The former NFL wideout stood before a judge in a Miami-Dade courtroom, wearing a red prison jumpsuit, as bail was set at $25,000. Brown was granted release under Level 3 house arrest — the least restrictive form — but must wear an ankle monitor and surrender his passport.
He's also been ordered to stay away from the alleged victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu.
The hearing marks Brown's first appearance in Florida since being charged with second-degree attempted murder stemming from a chaotic brawl at streamer Adin Ross' charity boxing event in May. Prosecutors allege Brown tried to shoot and kill Nantambu, a former friend, during an argument caught partly on video.
An arrest warrant was issued in June, but Brown had already left the country. He was detained in the United Arab Emirates last week, extradited to New Jersey, and escorted by U.S. authorities to Miami on Tuesday.
Brown's attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, told the court his client wasn't fleeing justice but traveling for business before the warrant was filed. "He's been cooperative from the start," Eiglarsh said earlier this week, reiterating that Brown "acted solely in self-defense" that night.
The 37-year-old former Steelers, Patriots, and Buccaneers receiver now awaits his next hearing later this month — and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
