Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore has reached a plea agreement, pleading no contest to two misdemeanor charges to resolve a felony criminal case. This resolution comes shortly after his dismissal from the University of Michigan for an "inappropriate relationship with a staff member." The deal, finalized on Friday, saw the dropping of original charges including felony home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering. Moore's legal team indicated the no-contest plea was strategically chosen to mitigate potential civil litigation and allow Moore to move forward. The university cited the inappropriate relationship as the basis for Moore's termination in December.
The legal proceedings stemmed from an alleged incident on December 10th, following Moore's firing. Authorities reported that Moore confronted the executive assistant with whom he had an extramarital affair, accusing her of causing his dismissal. He is alleged to have entered her apartment and threatened to harm himself with household items. The plea deal avoids a trial and public testimony from the woman involved. Moore was originally arrested on charges of stalking, breaking and entering, and home invasion. His attorney, Ellen Michaels, stated that Moore was "overcharged" in the initial complaint.
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The agreement involves Moore pleading no contest to two new misdemeanor counts: malicious use of a telecommunications device and trespass. The GPS tracking device, a tether, that has been on Moore since his December arrest is expected to be removed. He had spent two nights in jail following his arrest. This resolution arrived on the same day a judge was scheduled to hear a challenge to Moore's arrest. University of Michigan officials declined to comment on the developments.
Moore, who coached the Wolverines for two seasons with a 16-8 record, was dismissed in December. The university cited his inappropriate relationship with a staff member as the reason for his termination. The woman, whose identity has not been released, had reportedly ended the affair days before Moore's firing and cooperated with the university's investigation. She has accused Moore of domestic violence and stalking. Moore arrived at his court appearance with his wife, Kelli. His attorney stressed the no-contest plea was beneficial for him to "move on with his family."
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Keywords: 'Sherrone Moore', 'Michigan football', 'plea deal', 'home invasion', 'misdemeanors', 'felony charges', 'stalking', 'University of Michigan', 'inappropriate relationship', 'executive assistant', 'no contest plea', 'Ellen Michaels', 'Kelli Moore'.