LaMichael James Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor

Oregon’s nightmarish offseason continued Friday morning when freshman running back LaMichael James pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge and was sentenced to 10 days in jail and two years of probation.

James, who set a Pac-10 freshman record with 1,546 rushing yards last season, faced five misdemeanor charges, including menacing, strangulation and assault, for a Feb. 15 incident in which a former girlfriend claimed James grabbed her neck and pushed her to the ground. All but the harassment charge were dropped.

Ducks coach Chip Kelly has previously said he’d wait until the court’s decision before he decided on a punishment for James and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was also scheduled to appear in court today, along with recently dismissed receiver Garrett Embry, for charges stemming from a theft at an Oregon fraternity house in January.

James was scheduled to report to jail today, but it was unclear whether he would serve additional jail time. The Lane County Sheriff’s Department may decide to place James in a diversion program.

For all things Oregon, log onto the Addicted to Quak blog.