Highly-touted rookie was added for quality depth
On Wednesday, Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Michael Hall, Jr. had a court appearance at the Avon Lake Municipal Courthouse in Avon Lake, Ohio. He appeared for a pretrial conference, but the case was continued until next week.
RELATED: MICHAEL HALL LEGAL UPDATE AND CONTRACT CONSIDERATIONS
Hall is accused of domestic violence allegations of his live-in fiancé and mother of his son stemming from a ruckus that occurred on Monday, August 13 at an address in Avon, Ohio. Police claim he threatened his fiancé with with gun during a fight the couple was having. The following day, Hall was arrested and booked on a first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence charge.
The woman accused Hall of pushing her daughter and hitting her with a baby bottle, according to the Avon Police report. Nobody was injured and no medical assistance was summoned.
The event happened just two days after the Browns first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. Hall, age 21, grew up a Browns fan and was his first-ever game. An Ohio State alum, he was drafted by Cleveland with the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. On Saturday, Hall played 29 defensive snaps and three special teams snaps with his only stat being a single tackle.
While the court continued the case on Wednesday, Thursday Hall entered a plea:
Browns rookie Michael Hall pleaded no contest this morning to a reduced charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in Avon Lake Municipal Court. Fined $250, suspended 30 day jail sentence and 2 years probation. Alleged victim was in courthouse but did not want to speak in court.
— Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd) September 19, 2024
Hall posted a $10,000 bond and pled not guilty to the charges. The NFL subsequently placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning that he cannot play or take part in team practices or activities.
On September 11 a protection order was lifted against Hall in his domestic violence case. The order had been issued on August 13. Hall’s fiancé requested the order’s removal stating she was “not in fear” of Hall. She had hired attorney Eric Long to represent her.
Long stated to FOX Channel 8:
“These types of cases are always complex and dealing with the criminal system is never easy for anyone involved. My role is to assist my client in providing accurate and truthful information to those who need it so that an appropriate outcome can be reached.”
On the night in question, she had accused Hall of holding a gun to her head and threatening to kill her. Four days after his arrest, the fiancé recanted that specific part of her allegation in a follow-up statement to police.
The couple were part of another incident that occurred in February of 2023. Police were called and the fiancé was charged with domestic violence. The police report stated that she hit Hall in the head with a glass bottle that shattered outside the Columbus, Ohio airport. She was arrested and booked, but the case was dismissed months later for lack of a prosecuting witness.
Hall played three seasons for Ohio State and had 45 total tackles, six sacks, one fumble recovery, 11 tackles for loss in 28 games played. He was named Third Team All-Big 10 in his sophomore and junior years. He grew up in Streetsboro, Ohio.
Hall is being represented by attorney Kevin Spellacy.
With the legal matter settled in court, the NFL will now complete their review of the violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.