San Francisco 49ers' Reuben Foster pleads not guilty to domestic violence charges

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges stemming from allegations that he attacked his then-girlfriend in their home in February.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 17, at which point Foster's former girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, may testify under oath.

Ennis has recanted the allegations that led to the domestic violence case.

Foster was charged with inflicting great bodily harm, forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime and possession of an assault weapon.

The 28-year-old woman initially told police that Foster dragged her by her hair, physically threw her out of their house, and punched her in the head eight to 10 times.

She later issued a statement through her attorney saying her injuries were the result of a fight with another woman.

Foster would face more than 11 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

Prosecutor Jim Dermertzis has said the district attorney's office will continue to prosecute the case against Foster even if Ennis does not cooperate with the investigation.

John Lynch, the 49ers' general manager, said last month that Foster will be dropped if found guilty of striking Ennis.

"I do want to be very clear, abundantly clear, that if these charges are proven true, that if Reuben did indeed hit this young lady, he won't be part of our organization going forward," Lynch said. "That's the standard we want on our team, that's the standard we are going to operate under."

Foster also would be subject to punishment under the NFL's personal-conduct policy, which requires a six-game suspension for a first-time domestic violence violation.