By Alana Bleimann
SACRAMENTO – Two disturbing and sad domestic violence cases—involving defendants Jamal Pridgon and David Springer—made Friday a less than happy end of the work week day here in Sacramento County Superior Court Department 60.
Case #1 – Jamal Pridgon: Assistant Public Defender Joseph Cress requested a no contest or guilty plea with three years of formal probation with conditions and completion of a batterer’s treatment program after Pridgon was charged with assaulting his girlfriend in front of their young child.
According to the stated facts of the case, in late April of this year, Pridgon attacked his victim, with whom he had been in a relationship for five years. The couple had one child together in that time period.
At the time of the violent attack, the victim believed Pridgon was under the influence of drugs.
An argument broke out between the couple in which “the victim threw the defendant’s phone outside and told him he needed to leave. The defendant proceeded to tell the victim to leave herself and pushed her.
She tried to back up in order to protect herself, and after Pridgon said he was going to “beat her up” the victim picked up their child so she could leave the room.
One swing was thrown at the victim before she was able to step outside. The victim was pushed up against the wall by Pridgon who “attempted to strangle her with one hand.”
“The victim felt as though it was hard to breathe,” claimed Deputy District Attorney Renishta Lal.
After the attempted strangle, he allegedly “punched her two to three times in the back of the head” from which she suffered from a bruise on her right cheek, a cut on her left eyebrow, a cut on her finger, and a bruise on the back of her head.
The judge did not take this alleged case of domestic violence lightly and prohibited him from owning a firearm for the next 10 years. In addition, a peaceful contact criminal protective order for the victim was issued and signed.
Pridgon was sentenced to 180 days in jail, which he will do on the sheriff’s work project. He will receive three years of formal probation and is required to complete a batterer’s treatment program.
Case #2 – David Springer: PD Cress handled this case, too, requesting three years of informal probation with a 60-day sheriff’s work project and an additional completion of 60 AA classes.
The facts, as presented, were that in early October of this year, Springer attacked his victim, with whom he had been in a relationship for one year. The couple had been living together with the victim’s mother at the time of the incident.
When officers arrived at the scene, the victim stated that Springer is a “heavy drinker” and they had been arguing. The argument proceeded when the defendant arrived at their home and was upset because, one day prior, the victim called the police on him.
As a result, Springer grabbed two kitchen knives and threatened the victim by saying, “Go ahead and call the cops they won’t get here in 60 seconds and by then you will be dead.”
The victim “believed that this crime was credible,” according to deputy district attorney Lal.
Additionally, the victim’s mother, who lives with the couple, also heard the threat and witnessed it and “was extremely afraid for her safety as well.”
Although the victims did not suffer any injuries, Springer was sentenced to 60 days in jail, which he’ll do on the sheriff’s work project, three years of informal probation and mandatory proof of AA meetings.
Alana Bleimann is a junior at the University of San Francisco majoring in Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice Studies. She is from Raleigh, North Carolina.
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