John Rich Free on Bond After Assault Charges

John Rich is out on $3,000 bond after turning himself in to Nashville police on Thursday, May 28, after three misdemeanor assault and harrassment charges were filed against the star by former Nashville Star contestant Jared Ashley, CMT.com reported.
Rich said this is just the latest in an ongoing series of incidents between the two, and that the accusations are false. In April, Rich sued Ashley for defamation after Ashley told a Florida radio station that he was assaulted by Rich in his private Nashville club, The Spot.
In a statement released through his attorney, Rich said that Ashley and his attorney, Chris Sevier demanded that he pay $2.9 million in exchange for dropping the charges. Sevier refuted the claim in an interview with the Associated Press.
Rich is still scheduled to appear at the 2009 CMA Music Festival, taking place next week. To learn more about the event, visit CountryHound's CMA Music Festival page.