NORMAN, Okla. – The Cleveland County District’s Office has confirmed that Joe Mixon has pleaded guilty to assault charges.
Officials say Mixon entered an Alford plea to the assault charges.
The Alford plea is a guilty plea in criminal court, but Mixon is not admitting guilt to the offense.
However, the defendant admits the prosecution has evidence that will likely lead to a conviction.
The D.A.’s office says OU freshman football player Joe Mixon will receive a one year deferred sentence in the plea deal.
That means Mixon will not serve any time in jail.
It also won’t go on his record. He will have to serve 100 hours of community service and go to cognitive behavior counseling.
Mixon will have to pay about $1,200 in fines and he is suspended for the rest of the football season.
The stand-out running back was suspended for the football season after he allegedly punched a female student in the face.
Joe Mixon was charged with a misdemeanor after the punch left broken bones in 20-year-old Amelia Monitor’s face.
Molitor told officers the argument started outside of Pickleman’s Deli and stemmed from a homosexual slur Mixon directed towards her friend.
The incident was captured on surveillance video.
So far, only members of the media have been allowed to see the footage.
On the way to class and over lunch, a lot of folks have opinions on Joe Mixon’s plea deal.
Because Mixon won’t serve any time behind bars, students we talked to say he’s getting off too easily because he’s an athlete.
“Usually athletes get off too easy,” student Taylor Devost said.
His attorney, Kevin Finlay, released a statement saying in part:
“Joe has made the decision that entering an Alford Plea to the misdemeanor and accepting the short period of probation was the best course of action at this point in his life. Joe does not want to be a further distraction to his family, friends, teammates, and the University of Oklahoma.”
If Mixon violates any conditions under his year-long probation, he could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Click here to see the plea deal document.
Click here to see probation document.
Click here to read D.A. Statement.
