Judge dismisses charge against Demarest in plea deal

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An assault charge against Rutgers assistant head football coach Chris Demarest was dismissed Wednesday after a judge accepted a report indicating Demarest had completed anger management counseling.

Demarest, arrested in July 2007 and charged with assaulting his girlfriend at a Long Branch, N.J., bar, had pleaded not guilty in the case. In November, prosecutors and Demarest agreed to a plea deal in which the charge would be dropped if Demarest attended sessions with a counselor.

"I'm satisfied that Mr. Demarest has done what he said he would do, and what he promised to do, and it is satisfactory to the prosecutor," Judge George Cieri said, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

Demarest, 42, who had been out on $2,500 bail, has been on coach Greg Schiano's staff for four seasons, and was promoted in March to assistant head coach.

Municipal prosecutor Steven C. Rubin had wanted Demarest to be evaluated by 180 Degrees, Turning Life Around, a counseling program, but Demarest's attorney, John Azzarello, said Demarest did not have to.

"Whatever concerns the 180 program had were addressed between the prosecutor and myself answering those questions, based on what our private counseling physician reported," Azzarello told the Star-Ledger.

"Chris is pleased this has finally been resolved," he added. "He's happy the justice system worked as we thought it should work in this instance."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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