Domestic Violence Charge Dropped Against Former Texas Basketball Coach


According to Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, the felony domestic violence prosecution against the former University of Texas men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard was dismissed on Wednesday. The accusation could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, according to Garza’s office, who said in a statement that they had done a “careful and thorough” evaluation of the evidence and taken into account the “wishes” of Randi Trew, the claimed victim and Beard’s fiancée. On December 12, when Trew contacted 911 to report that Beard had “choked me, bit me, bruises all over my leg, thrown me around and going berserk,” the coach was taken into custody and charged with assault by strangulation/suffocation—family violence. The evening after Beard’s arrest, the University of Texas suspended him without pay. On December 23, Trew released a statement disputing a large portion of the affidavit. She claimed Beard acted in self-defense and that she never intended for him to face legal action. Two weeks later, the institution sacked him. Beard’s lawyer reaffirmed his client’s “total innocence” on Wednesday and expressed their “great pleasure” at the outcome.