Under a deal reached with King County prosecutors, former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor offenses Monday while admitting to another traffic infraction, resolving the charges from an incident last July.
Sherman received a suspended 90-day sentence and was credited for two days served behind bars from District Court Judge Kevin A. Peck — meaning he will not serve any additional jail time. He was also ordered to pay court costs of $1,325 and restitution of a to-be-determined amount to his father-in-law and the Department of Transportation.
The guilty pleas were for first-degree negligent driving, speeding in a roadway construction zone and second-degree criminal trespass. Sherman has no previous convictions.
Among the penalties were $500 for speeding in a construction zone and a suspended fine of $1,000 for the other two offenses.
Sherman will also be under monitored court supervision for two years and ordered to attend a DUI victim’s panel within the next 60 days, among other conditions of the plea.
A King County prosecutor spokesman said the penalties are consistent with how other cases are handled.
In a statement, Sherman’s lawyer, Cooper Offenbecher, said: “Richard is grateful to have this matter concluded. He is focused on spending time with his family, and looks forward to the next steps in his career.”
Sherman was arrested on July 14, 2021, after crashing his black Mercedes sedan after driving into a construction site on Highway 520 and leaving the scene and later attempting to force entry into his in-laws’ residence in Redmond.
Sherman was a free agent at the time and later signed with Tampa Bay. Sherman, who turns 34 in March, played in five games with three starts, making one interception and 11 tackles, before he was placed on injured reserve in January with an Achilles tendon injury.
After signing with Tampa Bay, Sherman told reporters the arrest led to some “really positive changes” in his life.
“Some help, some therapies, some tools that I didn’t have before to address some things that you kind of let stack up in your mind,” he said. “You never have time to address them. It’s not the right moment. It’s not the right place in your life to deal with these emotions and feelings.
“It really forced me to step back and go ask for help and get the help I need and to not be afraid, to be proud to ask. In that, it’s been remarkable how many other people have said they had the same issue. Because you always feel like you’re alone. You always feel like you’re the only one dealing with this.”
Sherman is again a free agent and is serving as his own agent, according to the NFLPA, and can sign with a new team when the free-agent signing period begins next Wednesday.
Correction: Richard Sherman pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor offenses and admitted to a traffic infraction, not three misdemeanor offenses as stated in an earlier version of this story.