Advocates urge Cook County prosecutors to drop charges against woman claiming self-defense in boyfriend's death

Advocates on Tuesday demanded the Cook County State's Attorney's Office drop murder charges against a woman who they say was defending herself from an abusive boyfriend.

Organizers with Moms United Against Violence & Incarceration said Keshia Golden was eight months pregnant when she stabbed her partner, Calvin Sidney, after he attacked her.

Sidney later died, and Golden was charged with first-degree murder. Her trial is scheduled to begin next week.

Golden's supporters rallied at Daley Plaza on Tuesday, across the street from the state's attorney's downtown offices, calling for the charges against Golden to be dismissed.

Her attorneys have said she stabbed Sidney after he slammed her head into a counter while she was pregnant in October 2022.

Earlier this year, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office offered Golden a plea deal to lesser charges of second-degree murder, but Golden's supporters have said all charges should be dropped, arguing she was acting in self-defense.

"Keshia Golden, as we've said repeatedly, has been sent the chilling, horrifying message that she did not have the legal right to defend herself, that somehow her legal right was to die quietly in compliance with the law, and that is unacceptable," Holly Krig, director of organizing for Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration, said in April.

Golden's attorneys said Sidney had a documented history of domestic violence and Golden was protecting herself and her unborn child when she stabbed him.

"We plan to prove that Ms. Golden acted in defense of herself and her unborn child," Cook County Assistant Public Defender Kyan Keenan said in April. "We believe that Ms. Golden had the right under the law and that the law exists for self-defense for these exact situations that Ms. Golden found herself in."

Keenan said Golden's defense team has been urging prosecutors to drop the case since she was first charged, but has only gone public with those efforts in recent months in a bid to ramp up pressure on the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.

"She's incredibly overwhelmed, as anyone would be in a situation where you're fighting first-degree murder charges simply for trying to survive and protect your unborn child," Keenan said. "The message that the state is sending is that if you defend yourself, you will be punished."

Golden's attorneys said they are confident, if prosecutors proceed with a trial, she will be found not guilty. 

"Ms. Golden should not be punished. People are outraged, as well they should be, and we believe that in the end the right thing will happen, and Ms. Golden will be found not guilty of any charges, because this is exactly what the law allows for when it allows an affirmative defense of self-defense," Keenan said.

In court filings, prosecutors have said Golden and Sidney got into an argument in the kitchen of Sidney's home about who could reheat their food in the microwave first. After Golden knocked a plate ouf of Sidney's hands, Sidney pushed her down onto a counter, according to prosecutors.

Sidney's uncle then stepped between the couple, and Sidney went to a bedroom and laid on the bed. Prosecutors said Golden later armed herself with a knife, went into the bedroom, and stabbed Sidney in the thigh, severing his femoral artery, while Sidney's uncle tried to keep her away from Sidney. 

Prosecutors said Sidney was unarmed and lying on a bed when Golden stabbed him.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said it 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. As this case remains pending litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time," a spokesperson said.