Well nothing like a plea deal to bring things back down to a manageable level.
Sheard, 21, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. He also agreed to pay medical bills for the victim, Edward Parker, 27, of Stanton Heights, and write a letter of apology to him.
District Judge Robert Ravenstahl approved the plea agreement and ordered Sheard to pay a fine of $300, plus court costs.
The disorderly conduct charge is a summary offense. The charges dropped in the plea deal were the aggravated assault (felony), resisting arrest and criminal mischief.
Sheard’s defense attorney declared the outcome unsurprising and typical for a first-time offender.
Parker was knocked through a glass door at the art gallery and suffered cuts and bruises, which Sheard attorney William Diffenderfer said required “a few staples in his head.” Diffenderfer said Parker has 90 days to forward his medical bills from UPMC Shadyside Hospital to Sheard.
“This was an unfortunate fist fight on the South Side,” said Diffenderfer, who added that the agreement with Parker was worked out “amicably.”
“Frankly, from my experience, it was handled no differently than any other fist fight.”
Both Sheard and Parker declined comment as they left the courtroom.
Following this, Jabaal Sheard was reinstated to Pitt’s’ football team.
“This situation with Jabaal was as surprising as it was disappointing to me,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said in a statement released by the university. “Until this incident, his behavior has always been representative of the high standards we have for our program on and off the field. I’m confident he will learn from this and be wiser moving forward.”
According to the statement, Wannstedt said Sheard will continue to be subject to internal discipline and accountability.
The indications are that the “internal discipline and accountability” will be of the Bobby Bowden variety.
…likely including some extra running and conditioning drills, but it looks like all systems are go for him to start the team’s opener at Utah.
I’m feeling decidedly ambivalent about things if that is the extent of the punishment.
From the football side of things, there is no question that this is good and helps the team immeasurably in what is a very tough opening game on the road. It also feeds into the idea of not punishing the team for Sheard’s actions. And of course, the final dispensation of the case is that Sheard ultimately pled guilty to a single disorderly conduct charge — a very minor offense
But…
He still put a guy through a glass door while fighting. He still acted so recklessly and dangerously. There are no actual disputes as to what the police report indicated occurred. At least a suspension for the opening game seems like it still would have been appropriate.
