Michigan judge grants evidentiary hearing in ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore's case

A Washtenaw County judge on Tuesday granted a motion for an evidentiary hearing for ex-University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, saying that prosecutors made an omission.

Judge Cedric Simpson says he was concerned that the context of Moore's relationship with a female staffer, whom he had a relationship with, appeared misleading. U of M fired Moore on Dec. 10 after its investigation uncovered that relationship.

Moore was arrested hours later and was charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering. Prosecutors allege that after he was fired, Moore went to the woman's home and threatened to harm himself. Prosecutors also alleged that the woman ended the relationship days before the firing, and Moore repeatedly called her.

However, Simpson ruled that the context of the relationship was "one-sided" because it was presented to the court by someone else and doesn't "constitute a full picture."

"I think the evidentiary hearing would be necessary because there's no mention of the employment, that context, given to the relationship," Simpson said. 

"When it talks about the 10 to 12 phone calls and text messages, there's not one mention of the fact that those, to which they could determine, were work-related," Simpson added. "This is a huge — in this court's perspective — that's a huge omission."

An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for March 2.

The judge's ruling may appear as a win for Moore's defense team, which is pushing for the case to be dismissed.

"Judge Simpson got it right in this motion and due process matters," said Moore's defense, Ellen Michaels, following Tuesday's court proceedings. "Coach Moore maintains his innocence, and the truth will come out."   

This story is developing and will be updated.