Montana senior running back Jeremy Calhoun pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault Wednesday in Missoula County Justice Court and received a deferred sentence, as well as a $500 fine and 100 hours of community service.
The charges stemmed from a fight that Calhoun was involved in the morning of May 5 in front of Stockman’s Bar in downtown Missoula.
According to testimony and eyewitness accounts, Calhoun and his brother Justin, a cornerback for the Grizzlies, were drawn into a brawl, and Jeremy Calhoun threw a punch that knocked another man’s front teeth out.
The deferred sentence means that Calhoun will avoid jail time and, if he stays out of trouble for the next 24 months, the charges will likely be wiped from his record. Calhoun also had to pay the victim $9862.67 in restitution to cover his medical bills and lost wages.
What was supposed to be a simple court appearance Wednesday dragged on as the sides argued over sentencing.
Calhoun quickly submitted a plea agreement.
Montana running back Jeremy Calhoun 8) hits the hole on a TD touchdown vs Montana State in 2015/by Brooks Nuanez
Deputy County Attorney Mac Bloom, representing the victim, asked for 200 hours of community service and for Calhoun’s sentence to merely be suspended, meaning he wouldn’t serve jail time but the charges would stay on his record.
Both the victim and the victim’s mother gave emotional statements asking for the judge to consider the state’s recommendation.
Calhoun’s defense countered by asking for 40 hours of community service and the deferred sentence, playing security footage of the fight and cross-examining the victim to try to build their case.
In the end, the judge split the difference.
Calhoun had already served a two-game suspension from the football team at the start of the season for breaking the Student-Athlete Code of Conduct in relation to the fight. That suspension ended after Saturday’s game against Drake.
Calhoun’s attorney confirm he will be suspended for an addition game, his third of the 2018 season, vs. Western Illinois this weekend.
Montana running back Jeremy Calhoun 8) in 2016/by Jason Bacaj
Montana’s leading rusher from a year ago, he wasn’t listed on the two-deep depth chart for this Saturday’s game at Western Illinois.
“We handle all discipline through our Student-Athlete Code of Conduct,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said Wednesday at practice, before Calhoun’s court appearance. “That’s where it goes, and beyond that, we don’t address it. … Our two-deep that we produced on Tuesday is all we’re going to say about that. I haven’t given him much thought, frankly. He hasn’t been in the mix, so if he ever works his way into the mix, we’ll give that some thought.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez (main photo) and Jason Bacaj. All Rights Reserved.
