Contrary to earlier reports that had Mike Haywood staying in a St. Joseph County, Indiana jail until Monday, Haywood was allowed to post bond and be released today. That’s about the only good news for Haywood at this point.
Mr. Haywood originally was not going to be released until after his arraignment Monday at 1:30 p.m., a jail official said this morning. However, that changed when the St. Joseph County Prosecutor increased the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony, according to the jail, allowing Mr. Haywood to be released earlier.
Under Indiana state law, domestic battery is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a maximum $5,000 fine. If the alleged battery occurred in the physical presence of a child who is younger than 16, it can be charged as a Class D felony.
According to the jail, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor increased the charge to a felony because the alleged battery took place in the presence of Mr. Haywood’s 21-month-old son. A Class D felony conviction could mean a jail term between six months and three years, with an advisory sentence of one and one-half years, and a maximum $10,000 fine.
When the alleged battery was classified as a misdemeanor, according to a jail official, Mr. Haywood’s bond could not be posted until a no-contact order was filed and he was arraigned. When the prosecutor’s office increased the charge to a felony, it issued an arrest warrant, which according to the jail established a bond and court date and allowed Mr. Haywood ‘s bond to be posted.
Now to be fair, and lord knows we saw a bit of that this past year with Pitt players — what you are charged with does not mean much other than giving the prosecution more leverage in plea negotiations.
In something of a surprise, Mike Haywood did give a comment after being released.
“It isn’t fair,” Haywood told the Tribune-Review in a telephone interview. “The truth will eventually come out.”
The problem for Haywood and Pitt is that there is no time for “eventually.” Which could very well be why he prefaced that with, “It isn’t fair.” Guilt, innocence, principle of American jurisprudence have nothing to do with his coaching career and Pitt.
He has to know that this cost him his job with Pitt and at a minimum set him back years in his profession. He can maintain his innocence. Maybe, eventually, the charges get dropped or severely reduced. Maybe he gets to go back to being a RB coach in 1-AA or even a low 1-A job to start over.
I just don’t see any way he actually takes over as Pitt head coach on January 9. Let the agents and lawyers fight it out with Pitt for a settlement, but he isn’t going to be Pitt’s coach short of a minor miracle.
Unfortunately the resolution that we want/need and the one that should happen has no bearing on the contractual legalities and practical financial considerations of the matter.
Unless there was some great contract writing by Pitt’s legal team, we’re either going to have to drop a bunch of cash or wait this thing out until “just cause” kicks in. Unfortunately, being “accused” of something is probably not enough.
Heywood may well be right and this may well not be fair. But it’s too late now. He blew his credibility. So did Mike Leach and (to a lesser extent) Rich Rod. Keep that in mind as we begin interviews, Pederson…
It would kill my pool, but who cares?
I congratulate Chancellor Nordenberg for not only taking the correct action, but doing it so swiftly. In my experience, there aren’t many people in today’s world that actually stand for anything of value, including the military, the church, the government, and corporations. Chancellor Nordenberg has shown by this action he is one of those rare few who do stand for a cause.
But I would say this to the Chancellor (I mean, if he reads my posts, which of course, he does). Pitt has, historically, been unafraid of challenges. The most important, to me, was Pitt’s stand for Professor Kolodny, and against McCarthyite Fascism. The second was when Jonas Salk took on the challenge of polio. The third was when, despite the protests, Pitt brought Bobby Grier to the ’56 Sugar Bowl anyway, and integrated the bowl games. If I love Pitt, these are the reasons why.
I know that sports are child’s games, and the older I get, the more childish they seem. The real worth of a university is in its teaching, its research, and its value to its community and the world. And in that respect, Nordenberg has been an excellent representative for Pitt. But I also know that in today’s world, universities are respected more for their performace on the field than their contributions to society. Speculum Mundi. But then, what do you really expect?
The Chancellor can be assured of his legacy already. He’s shown his value time and again in helping to make Pitt a leader in academics and research. But if Pitt wants to take on another challenge, why not show the world that a university can run clean, nationally powerful sports programs. No one believes this is possible. Most people think you either win dirty or lose clean. But I think you can win clean. And maybe Jaimie Dixon is the best example of this. Maybe Pitt can lead the way in football, too. Yeah, so its not a cure for cancer. If we found one, no one would be able to afford it anyway. But its something.
Yeah, I know, too much. Too maudlin. Alright, so I’ve had a glass or two. Its New Year’s. I’m not embarrassed by it. No, really.
