Domestic abuse accusations result in a sentence for the former Shanley coach

Fargo, North Dakota – A former Shanley assistant baseball coach has been sentenced to ten days in the Cass County Jail and two years of probation after entering a guilty plea last month to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge and a felony charge of terrorizing. The charges stemmed from an incident that happened at his home in July of 2023.

The event that resulted in Nicholas Tweiten’s arrest at their house was “without a doubt the lowest and darkest moment” of his life, he said in court, and he was seeking weekly treatment. Tweiten, 37, apologized to his wife.

Tweiten also expressed regret to the three policemen who came to his house in response to the report of domestic abuse. After a night of drinking last summer, Tweiten is accused of hitting his wife several times and pointing a loaded pistol at her. According to the incident report, she was visibly hurt when the police came, and Tweiten—who was cooperative—admitted to beating his wife and obtaining a revolver, but he denied aiming it at her.

Tweiten regretted that he would never be able to coach again and claimed he was trying to mend the trust he had betrayed with everyone in his life.

“I love those kids and coaching them was one of my greatest joys,” he said.

Judge Nicholas Chase of the East Central District Court described the case as “awful and terrifying,” but he also expressed his belief that Tweiten was aware of the seriousness of his actions.

Pat O’Day, Tweiten’s lawyer, requested that Tweiten be spared from jail time. Judge Chase informed Tweiten that “nobody gets a free pass,” but he added that he considered multiple letters vouching for his moral strength, including ones from former coworkers. One letter from a Shanley coach mentioned Tweiten’s abilities to coach baseball to children, and another was from a city of Fargo employee, whom Tweiten helped during her addiction treatment.

In court, Tweiten’s wife Kelly gave a moving but encouraging victim statement and begged the judge not to give her husband any jail time.

“He is one of the most caring people I know,” she said, adding that she would rely on her husband’s support as she deals with her own mental struggles.

Judge Chase’s ten-day sentence was much less than the assistant state’s attorney’s roughly four-month request in this case.

Tweiten was also mandated to give up the firearm he was carrying at the time of the event.