SAN FRANCISCO Steve Levy, a third-string quarterback turned starter for the University of California, Berkeley football team, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of battery in San Francisco Superior Court Wednesday. The charge stems from a June 25 incident at Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub in San Francisco's North Beach in which Levy reportedly threw a pint glass at a bouncer after he was asked to leave. The district attorney's office had originally charged Levy, a 22-year-old senior at the university, with assault with a deadly weapon, a felony charge carrying a sentence of up to four years in prison. He pleaded not guilty to that charge June 29. As part of Levy's guilty plea on the lesser charge, terms include three years probation, 100 hours of community service, restitution and an order that he stay away from the bar and the victim of the assault, according to district attorney's spokeswoman Bilen Mesfin. Levy, listed at just over 6 feet and 226 pounds on the team's roster, had apparently been asked to leave the 530 Jackson St. bar after an argument inside. After Levy threw the glass, he walked away from the bar, but several patrons followed him and confronted him down the street. Police arrived and arrested Levy shortly afterward. The victim suffered lacerations to the left side of his forehead and near his eye, according to police.
Jeff Tedford, the team's head coach, had already barred Levy from attending pre-season workouts and had suspended him for the first game of the season. "We are pleased that Steve's situation has been resolved," Tedford said in a statement. "While he will participate in the team in fall camp, he remains suspended for the opener at Tennessee." Levy expressed regret in a statement released today. "I understand my actions were not appropriate for a Cal student athlete," Levy said. "I would like to apologize to my family, my teammates and the Cal fans, as well as anybody else affected by what happened. I have learned from the experience. I just want to put this behind me and do anything I can to help the 2006 Bears."
Levy became the starting quarterback for the Cal Bears after the original first-string quarterback broke his leg on the opening game of the 2004-2005 season. Tedford sidelined the second-string quarterback because of performance issues and Levy was thrust into the spotlight, winning against Stanford and in a bowl game against Brigham Young University. The starting lineup for the upcoming season, beginning Sept. 2, has not been announced yet. Mary P. Carey, Levy's attorney, could not immediately be reached for comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment