Pregnant Chicago woman who faced murder charge in boyfriend’s death takes plea deal
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Keisha Golden pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and will receive two years of probation after saying she acted to protect herself and her unborn child.
A Chicago woman who stood to face first-degree murder charges in the death of her boyfriend has accepted a plea deal.
Keisha Golden, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on Monday, the same day that her trial was set to begin. Golden said she accidentally killed her boyfriend, Calvin Sidney, in 2022 following an argument that turned physical.
According to prosecutors, on October 23, 2022, family members had to separate the two and Sidney went into a bedroom to lie down. They allege Golden then went into the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed Sidney in his leg, hitting his femoral artery. Golden’s lawyers offered a different account of what occurred that night. They said that Sidney, who had police called on him for domestic abuse more than 50 times during their relationship, hit Golden and slammed her head on a countertop. She then grabbed the knife and stabbed him in the leg.
Golden, who said she stabbed Sidney to protect her and her unborn child, previously obtained an order of protection against him in July of that year after he allegedly punched her in the face. He had previously been arrested four times in relation to the alleged abuse of Golden, whereas Golden had been arrested once due to a prior incident with Sidney. No charges were filed in those cases.
She will receive 24 months of probation.
Golden previously was given an option to plead guilty to second-degree murder charges but chose not to, as her lawyers argued that it would impact her chances at potential employment and housing. Under the new plea deal, she will not have to register as a violent offender in the state of Illinois.
“The offer from the State’s Attorney’s office clearly shows that prosecutors never believed they could convince a judge or jury that our client, Keshia Golden, was guilty of first-degree murder,” her attorneys said in a statement.
Golden was initially held on a $2 million bond when she was arrested, but a judge later reduced it to $50,000. Community and advocacy groups that supported her after hearing her story urged Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke to drop the charges. Those groups raised the $5,000 necessary to bail Golden out of jail so she could give birth to her daughter. A GoFundMe was established to help her with child care costs as she potentially faced trial.
“Keshia has been unable to work given the need to constantly care for her child, while also going to court and doing all the things she needs to do to assist in her own defense–while also trying to keep her child housed and fed,” a statement on the GoFundMe reads.
Ahead of Monday’s plea, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office released a statement saying it reviews the facts of any case it handles, including domestic violence cases, before taking it on.
“The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is committed to combatting domestic violence in all of its forms. In this case, and in every case that we handle, we carefully evaluate the facts and the law to make appropriate charging decisions and to seek justice on behalf of victims. These determinations are based on a thorough review of the evidence that is gathered by law enforcement and presented to us at the conclusion of their investigation.”
“If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, confidential help is available 24/7. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, text “START” to 88788, or visit thehotline.org.”