The criminal proceedings against former Tigers pitcher Evan Reed came to a close Friday when he was sentenced to one year of probation, a fine and community service — infuriating the alleged victim.
Reed, 29, initially faced two third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges stemming from a March 29, 2014 incident in which a woman accused him of drugging and raping her at a Detroit hotel. But those charges were dropped two weeks ago as part of an agreement with prosecutors that saw Reed plead no contest to a misdemeanor aggravated assault charge.
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Reed has said the two had consensual sex. In addition to the probation, he was ordered to do 120 hours of community service and pay $4,480 for the victim's medical bills and other expenses.
In court Friday, the alleged victim expressed outrage over the plea deal and said she had not been informed of the agreement until Reed had already accepted it.
“On March 29, 2014, Evan Reed drugged, raped and sodomized me. My life has never been the same since," she told the court, via the Detroit News. "I implore you not to let the judicial system fail me. Evan Reed has taken away my voice.
“… An act of violence has been committed by Evan Reed. I will fight him until the bitter end on behalf of myself and anyone else he may have done this to.”
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Suzette Samuels called Reed's actions "a case of unbridled arrogance" but refused to comment about whether the woman had been told of the plea deal in advance.
The case has had a complicated path through the courts. A judge last fall dismissed the charges against Reed, but an appeals court overruled him days later. The charges were reinstated in February but the start date of the trial was pushed back multiple times before the two sides reached an agreement.
Reed's attorneys did not comment to the media after the sentencing, but they have said Reed is working out in California and three major league organizations have inquired about the status of his case.
Reed made 32 relief appearances for the Tigers last season and 17 more for Triple-A Toledo but was released after the season and is currently a free agent.
