Mississippi State's Jeffery Simmons pleads no contest to simple assault

Mississippi State freshman Jeffery Simmons pleaded no contest to simple assault Tuesday.

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Mississippi State freshman defensive end Jeffery Simmons pleaded no contest to simple assault Tuesday, reports Joel Coleman of the Starkville Daily News.

Simmons was facing charges stemming from a video that surfaced in March showing him punching another woman. 

Simmons was fined $175 for his simple assault plea, and was fined another $300 for being found guilty of malicious mischief. He will also pay over $800 in restitution. 

• Mississippi State's lenient Simmons punishment sends troubling message

A charge of disorderly conduct against Simmons was dismissed, while the complainant in the case was fined $225 for disturbing the peace fighting.

The Bulldogs suspended Simmons one game for his actions. The defensive end apologized for the incident in March.

“I take full responsibility for my actions that occurred on Thursday evening,” Simmons wrote in a Facebook post. “My apology goes out to the Taylor family and especially to Sophia Taylor. What was I thinking? Honestly, I wasn’t thinking, all I could think was this is my family and I am supposed to defend my family.”