Ohio St. football player arrested
Published February 28, 1997
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A freshman defensive lineman for Ohio State pleaded no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct in an attack on another student.
Joseph Brown, 19, of Tucson, Ariz., was charged with assault and disorderly conduct after a Nov. 24 fight with the president of the school’s rowing team. The assault charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Franklin County Municipal Judge Teresa L. Liston found Brown guilty, suspended a 30-day jail sentence and placed Brown on probation for one year.
Brown was also ordered to attend workshops on anger management and responsible decision-making. He was fined $100 and told to stay away from Eric Leeder, 20.
Leeder was escorting a guest home from a party when Brown, OSU defensive back Garrett Shea and a third man allegedly jumped out of a vehicle and assaulted him, breaking his nose. Leeder, a junior from Fairfax, Va., said he had earlier asked the three to leave an off-campus party.
An assault charge is pending against Shea, 19, of San Jose, Calif., who has transferred to Rutgers where his father is the head football coach.