Back in October, Dolphins linebacker Koa Misi pleaded no contest to felony battery charges in hopes of avoiding jail and getting a judge to knock the charges down to a misdemeanor.
Misi’s wish was granted this week. The Santa Barbara Independent reports that a judge sentenced Misi to three years of misdemeanor probation on Wednesday for punching through the front door of an apartment and then hitting a man in the face during a 2011 incident that started when Misi reacted to something yelled at him from an apartment balcony. Misi paid restitution for the door and the man’s medical bills, which, along with Misi’s clean prior record, helped convince the judge to bring down the weight of the charges.
The terms of the probation mandate Misi take 12 anger management classes and perform 400 hours of community service. He will return to court in June to show that he has been adhering to those requirements.
Moving the charge to a misdemeanor would seem to make it less likely that Misi is disciplined by the NFL for the incident. If that turns out to be the case, he’ll be available to the Dolphins all season as he finishes out the rookie contract he signed as a 2010 second-round pick.
