Zach Smierciak pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault

Per The Miami Student, suspended Miami defensive end Zach Smierciak plead guilty to reckless assault on Thursday.

The reckless assault charge is a reduced-level charge with a smaller sentence than felinious assault.

Smierciak plead to the lower charge following an investigation into incident where he knocked over a ladder that sent fellow Miami student Robert Null crashing into the pavement outside of Brick Street, leaving Null with serious injuries.

Null had to be taken to McCullough-Hyde Hospital before being taken to the University of Cincinnati Hospital, while Smierciak ran before being tackled and held down by Brick Street employees before the Oxford Police Department arrived on the scene.

Both Null and Smierciak declined to make a statement to the court.

The reduced charge has a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. The sentencing hearing will be held on Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. to give time for Judge Robert H. Lyons to conduct a pre-sentencing investigation.

We’ll update this developing story as we have more information.