By Kelsey Kitzke
FRESNO— Maybe it was fitting that late last week, just days before Father’s Day, that a father and his son were charged with the same crime here in Fresno County Superior Court, and likely spent Father’s Day in jail together.
Appearing in the court together and in custody, Jeff Marshall, Sr., 52, and his son Jeff Marshall, Jr., 26, were arraigned, and charged with domestic violence against a victim with whom the duo had an undisclosed relationship. Both pleaded not guilty.
Speaking for the district attorney’s office, Kendall Reynolds alleged that on the day of the incident Marshall, Sr., and Marshall, Jr., both under the influence of alcohol, confronted the victim at a campground site.
Marshall, Jr., put the victim in a chokehold and began to physically attack her. Marshall, Sr., soon joined in, at one point tripping the victim and continuing the assault. Eventually, fellow campsite members interfered, removing the victim from the Marshalls and calling the police.
The exact charge against the two is for corporal injury against a spouse or cohabitant, a felony. If convicted, the pair could be facing sentences of up to four years in state prison.
Attorneys for the Marshalls asked presiding judge, Glenda Allen-Hill, for a pretrial release. Marshall, Sr.,’s attorney, Cynthia Pack, noted her client’s limited criminal history and argued that he does not pose a flight risk.
Speaking against a pretrial release, Reynolds, argued that both defendants pose a risk to the victim given the serious nature of the case.
Ultimately, Judge Allen-Hill agreed with the prosecution and denied pretrial release while setting bail at $25,000 for both men.
A preliminary hearing for both father and son has been set for later this month.
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