Zach Smith’s court battle is over. Now he enters the crowded media-criticism game.
The disgraced former Ohio State receivers coach accepted a plea deal Tuesday to legally end a saga that nearly brought down Urban Meyer, who lied about his knowledge of the allegations. Smith pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, a reduced charge with Smith consenting to a three-year civil protection order. Smith was ordered to pay $289 in fines and court fees.
A guilty plea, even reduced, in a case against your ex-wife is a strange thing to both publicize and boast about, but Zach Smith is not like most.
“Charges dropped. Cases dismissed. Faith, patience & the truth will always prevail,” Smith tweeted Tuesday, attached with a statement.
Brett McMurphy, a former ESPN reporter now with Stadium who broke the news of Smith’s ex, Courtney, alleging Smith had beaten her, had followed the case and been a constant annoyance to Smith. He reported the protection order was “awarded” to Courtney, which ESPN corroborated.
Not so, according to Smith.
“She wasn’t awarded anything. I REQUESTED the Mutual Order for LIFE. Ask my attorney,” Smith wrote. “They told me to just do a 3-year. AND I pled ‘guilty’ to a minor misdemeanor to avoid the cost of a trial because they wanted to end this.
“You’re an absolute bafoon [sic] & give reporters a bad name.”
Smith, who just had to sign a three-year protection order against his ex-wife, continued tweeting his defense, including attaching part of his plea deal, which included a recognition of “a need to ensure the continued protection of Ms. Smith.” As part of the pleaded-down charge, “All parties agree that … Zachary Smith did not commit any violent acts against Courtney Smith” on May 12, 2018, which Smith is turning into a strange victory lap.
Courtney Smith told McMurphy in a story published Aug. 1 of several instances in which Smith abused her, dating back to 2009. Meyer knew about the 2009 incident, but told media he had no prior knowledge about another alleged abusive episode in 2015 — which he did not report up the chain, and he kept Smith on his staff until the allegations emerged this summer.
