ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Former Michigan football coach Sharon Moore was placed on probation for 18 months Tuesday for a confrontation with her executive assistant who was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with her.
Moore was facing a possible sentence of up to six months in prison after pleading no contest to trespassing and malicious use of telecommunications equipment. But Judge J Cedric Simpson ordered no time in custody.
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He said jail is not warranted, though he warned Moore that “all bets are off” if he violates probation. Simpson also said his former coach’s wife, Kelly, greatly influenced his decision.
Moore, 40, was fired on Dec. 10 after leading the Wolverines for two seasons, after Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. It was a stunning dismissal at one of college football’s most prestigious programs.
Moore is accused of confronting Paige Seaver, with whom he was having an affair, that same day, and accusing her of shooting him, threatening to kill herself with a butter knife and kitchen scissors in her apartment. Officials said she ended the affair and spoke to school officials about it.
By ordering probation, “I would let Ms. Shiver know that this court is in no way minimizing the impact of those events,” the judge said.
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“Frankly, Mr. Moore, you had no right to do what you did,” he added. “I know she was kept in fear. That day was a traumatic experience for you. It was certainly a traumatic experience for her. But you had no right to take your pain out on her.”
Shiver did not attend the hearing but issued a statement, saying the sentence “does not reflect the harm done to me.”
“He came into my apartment crying, screaming, angry and came at me with a knife. I was threatened and I feared for my life,” she said.
Moore was initially charged with domestic assault, stalking and trespassing. But Washtenaw County prosecutors agreed to a deal in which he pleaded no contest to two other misdemeanors.
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Moore spoke briefly in court, thanking his wife for standing by him but saying nothing about the camp. Defense attorney Allen Michaels told the judge that Moore had received counseling and was focused on his family.
The judge repeatedly praised Kelly Moore. Simpson said she was particularly moved by the letter she wrote in support of her husband. He also noted that he was concerned about Moore’s mental health when he calmly called the police on the day of the shooting in pursuit of her.
“The person, quite frankly Mr. Moore, who is protecting you from the full wrath of this court, you betrayed,” Simpson said. “I don’t know where your wife Kelly gets her strength from.”
Moore responded by shaking his head at the judge, while his wife was teary-eyed in the front row of the courtroom.
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The judge also cited the “courage” of prosecutors in withdrawing the initial charges.
“When the charges were filed they were appropriate,” Simpson said. “But as in any case, as more facts become known and more things happen, the facts and analysis change.”
The plea deal was reached after Michaels planned to aggressively challenge how police gathered and shared information to obtain an arrest warrant. He argued that police did not disclose that Moore and Shiver had a working relationship that included calls and text messages.
Moore did not harm himself on Dec. 10 and was peacefully arrested in a parking lot not far from Shiver’s apartment.
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When the hearing ended, Moore leaned over the courtroom barrier and hugged his wife. Outside court, she held a Bible in one hand and his hand in the other.
“Sharon is grateful that this case has been resolved and he and his wife, Kelly, are ready to move forward with their family and focus on the next chapter,” Michaels said.
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White reported from Detroit.
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Editor’s Note – This story contains 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.
