ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was placed on probation Tuesday for 18 months for confronting his executive assistant shortly after he was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with her.
Moore faces a possible sentence of up to six months in prison after failing to commit to trespassing and using telecommunications equipment for malicious purposes. But Judge J. Cedric Simpson ordered no detention.
Advertisement
He said there was no need for jail time, although he warned Moore that “all bets are off” if he violated his probation. Simpson also said his decision was greatly influenced by his former coach’s wife Kelli.
Moore, 40, was fired on Dec. 10 after leading the Wolverines for two seasons, following Jim Harbaugh’s move to the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. It was a stunning layoff at one of college football’s most prestigious programs.
That same day, Moore was accused of confronting Paige Shiver, with whom he was having an affair, and blaming her for his firing, even threatening to kill herself with a butter knife and kitchen scissors in her apartment. Authorities said she ended the incident and spoke with school officials about it.
By ordering probation, “I will let Ms. Shiver know that this court in no way diminishes the impact of those events,” the judge said.
Advertisement
“Frankly, Mr. Moore, you had no right to do what you did,” he added. “I know she suffered from fear. That day was a traumatic experience for you. It was certainly a traumatic experience for her. But you have no right to impart your pain on her.”
Shiver did not attend the hearing but released a statement, saying the sentence “does not reflect the harm caused to me.”
“He broke into my apartment, crying, screaming, angry and attacked me with a knife. I was threatened and I feared for my life,” she said.
Moore was initially charged with felony counts of home invasion, stalking and unlawful entry. But Washtenaw County prosecutors agreed to a deal in which he pleaded no contest to two other misdemeanors.
Advertisement
Moore spoke briefly in court, thanking his wife for standing by him but saying nothing about Shiver. Defense attorney Ellen Michaels told the judge that Moore has been receiving counseling and is focusing on his family.
The judges continuously praised Kelli Moore. Simpson said he was especially moved by the letter she wrote supporting her husband. He also noted that she was concerned about Moore’s mental health when she calmly called the police on the day he was fired to search for him.
“Frankly, Mr. Moore, the person who is saving you from the wrath of this court is the same person you betrayed,” Simpson said. “I don’t know where your wife Kelli finds her strength.”
Moore responded to the judge by nodding, while his wife tearfully sat in the front row of the courtroom.
Advertisement
The judge also cited the “courage” of prosecutors in withdrawing the original charges.
“When the allegations are made, they are appropriate,” Simpson said. “But as with any case, as more facts become known and more incidents occur, the facts and analysis will change.”
The plea agreement comes after Michaels planned to vigorously challenge the way police gathered and shared information to obtain arrest warrants. She argued that police failed to disclose that Moore and Shiver had a working relationship involving the calls and texts.
Moore did not harm himself on December 10 and was arrested peacefully in a parking lot away from Shiver’s apartment.
Advertisement
When the hearing ended, Moore leaned over the courtroom barrier and hugged his wife. Outside the courthouse, he held a Bible in one hand and a Bible in the other.
“Sherrone is grateful that this matter is resolved and he and his wife, Kelli, are ready to move forward with their family and focus on the next chapter,” Michaels said.
___
White reported from Detroit.
___
EDITOR’S NOTE – This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the United States is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org