USSSA fighting dads plead guilty in court

A viral cell phone video recorded by an onlooker shows 48-year-old Michael Barbella and 45- year-old Michael Duffy duking it out in front of the Wicomico County Civics Center during the opening ceremony for a softball tournament in July.

John Phoebus, Michael Duffy’s attorney says, “Anytime people’s children are involved they’re upset. My client was the one who was here with his child at the softball game. The other party drove four hours from New Jersey looking to start a fight.”

According to Duffy’s attorney, Barbella’s daughter had been removed from the softball team because of her father’s actions at previous games.

Court documents show that an investigating deputy found threats through text messages sent from Barbella to Duffy leading up to the incident.

Phoebus continues, “My guy went outside to try to protect the children in the Civics Center from encountering this guy.”

Both men are from New Jersey. They had to face a Wicomico County judge on three charges each Monday.  They were apologetic in the court room.

Kelly McFadden, Michael Barbella’s attorney says, “He very much expressed his remorse in the court room. He’s very sorry that this occurred.”

Phoebus says, “He does regret his actions. He wished he had handled it a different way.”  

In court Monday, both men had their affray and second degree assault charges dropped, in exchange for pleading guilty to disorderly conduct.

Both men have been sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation before judgement and paid a one- hundred dollar fee for the disorderly conduct charge.

McFadden continues, “I think that everyone would agree that this was all very embarrassing.”

Both Barbella and Duffy’s attorneys tell 47 ABC their clients don’t have any connection with Wicomico County and don’t plan to come back any time soon, if ever again.