Report: Chad Johnson Pleads No Contest, Avoids Jail Time but Gets One Year Probation, Counseling

by John Beattie on Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 11:12AM

The Chad Johnson domestic violence saga has come to a close — for now, at least.

NFL Network's Albert Breer is reporting that Johnson has reached a plea agreement regarding a domestic dispute with his ex-wife, Evelyn Lozada. The former NFL wide receiver entered a plea of no contest to misdemeanor domestic battery and will avoid jail time.

The two were married on July 4 and Johnson was arrested just over a month later on a domestic violence charge, as he was accused of head-butting Lozada during an argument in front of their home outside Miami, according to police. He was released from the Dolphins shortly thereafter.

The maximum penalty for misdemeanor domestic battery is 364 days in jail, but the prosecutor told the judge that Lozada didn't want to see the former Chad Ochocinco go to jail.

"She did not wish to proceed with the prosecution and certainly did not wish that Mr. Johnson be incarcerated as a result of this incident," the prosecutor said, according to ProFootballTalk.com.

Check out Breer's tweet below.

Our desk ran this down: Chad Johnson reached a plea agreement in domestic case, gets a year probation, counseling, has to pay medical costs.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 21, 2012