Former Football Captain Gets Probation

A judge has placed Matthew C. Thomas '06-'07 on probation until June 5, effectively ending the former Harvard football captain's legal troubles two days before his trial was set to begin.

Thomas had been charged with the assault and battery of his ex-girlfriend, also an undergraduate, after witnesses said they saw him "strangling her with one hand" before "he suddenly lifted her and drove his knee into her chest" after the Senior Soiree this past June.

Against the objections of Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Sean J. Casey, Judge George R. Sprague '60 decided Wednesday to dismiss Thomas' case, as long as the 22-year-old defendant abides by the terms of his probation.

Thomas will have to continue his current "treatment plan" in Maryland, undergo anger-management training, and complete 50 hours of community service, according to the Middlesex district attorney's spokeswoman, Melissa Sherman.

—Check www.thecrimson.com for updates.