Plea Deal Accepted on Eve of Trial
Keshia Golden, 37, pleaded guilty on Monday to a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the October 2022 stabbing death of Calvin Sidney, the father of her child. She was sentenced to two years of probation, according to the Chicago Tribune, which reported the hearing took place before a packed courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
The plea came as prosecutors were expected to offer a new deal — involuntary manslaughter with two years of probation — according to sources familiar with the case, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. That outlet had noted that the offer would not require Golden to register as a violent offender, unlike a prior offer of second-degree murder.
Golden’s attorneys and advocates had urged the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to drop all charges, arguing that she acted in self-defense.
The Incident
According to court records cited by the Chicago Tribune, the stabbing occurred on Oct. 23, 2022, when Golden stabbed Sidney in the thigh; he died from the wound. Golden was eight months pregnant at the time, as reported by both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
The Sun-Times reported that Golden and Sidney had just finished hosting a baby shower when he slammed her into a kitchen counter and a fridge, according to her lawyers. A relative tried to separate the pair, but Sidney wouldn’t relent, her lawyers said. Golden grabbed a knife and stabbed Sidney’s leg, striking his femoral artery. He later died at Mount Sinai Hospital, officials said.
In a previous statement to the Sun-Times, Golden said: “After the stab, I just ran out of the house. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I just wanted him to stop, basically. I didn’t know that it hit an artery.”
Court Proceedings and Reactions
Judge Steven Watkins presided over the hearing. According to the Tribune, the judge noted Golden’s lack of criminal history and said, “I think it’s a fair and just outcome, but there’s no winners here. We have a life that’s lost, a child without a father.”
Golden’s attorney, Julie Koehler, deputy chief of the public defender’s homicide task force, was sharply critical of the state’s attorney’s office. “You bullied an innocent mother into taking a plea deal that will haunt her for the rest of her life,” Koehler said, as reported by the Tribune.
Golden herself expressed a desire to raise her daughter. “I want to be able to raise my daughter,” she said, according to the Tribune, which reported she was dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
Perspectives
Golden and her attorneys: Golden maintains she acted in self-defense after experiencing abuse from Sidney. Her attorneys argued that the plea deal was coercive and that the charges should have been dropped entirely.
Judge Steven Watkins: The judge described the outcome as “fair and just,” while acknowledging the loss of life and the impact on the child.
Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office: The office, led by Eileen O’Neill Burke, offered the plea deal. Burke has been outspoken about domestic violence as a critical public safety issue, and the case drew scrutiny to her handling of the prosecution, according to the Tribune.