Buccaneers cornerback Richard Sherman pleads guilty to 2 charges
Misdemeanor charges stem from drunken driving and domestic disturbance in July
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Richard Sherman pleaded guilty in Seattle on Monday to two misdemeanor charges stemming from a drunken driving and domestic disturbance last summer, as part of an agreement that spares him further jail time.
Sherman was arrested July 14 after police said he crashed his SUV in a construction zone and tried to break into his in-laws' suburban Seattle home. His father-in-law, Raymond Moss, told officers that he armed himself with a handgun and fired pepper-spray at Sherman to protect his family.
The break-in attempt was captured on the home's surveillance camera, which was later released by the court.
"I'm grateful for the community we have and the way people continue to accept you even though you're a flawed human being and made a mistake," Sherman told the court.
Sherman, a former star with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, will pay about $825 US in legal fees, plus $500 for speeding in the construction zone, and be under court supervision for two years. He will be responsible for paying an as-yet-undetermined amount in restitution for damage to his in-laws' house and to the state transportation department.
The judge gave Sherman credit for the two days he spent in custody when he was first arrested and suspended the 88 days remaining on the sentence, meaning he won't be required to serve any additional time behind bars if he keeps out of trouble.
In an email, the King County prosecutor's office said the resolution was in line with comparable cases.
"Mr. Sherman did not get special treatment one way or the other," spokesman Casey McNerthney wrote.
Sherman originally faced several misdemeanor charges, including driving under the influence, reckless endangerment of roadway workers, second-degree criminal trespass, resisting arrest and third-degree malicious mischief.
Sherman, 33, became a Seattle sports legend during seven seasons with Seahawks. The cornerback was a star in their run to a 2014 Super Bowl victory, making a game-saving play to deflect a pass in the NFC championship game against the 49ers.
He is also the founder of the Blanket Coverage Foundation, a charity that provides low-income students with school supplies and clothes.
