A Chicago woman is preparing to stand trial later this year for the murder of her boyfriend, whom her attorneys and supporters maintain she killed in self-defense while she was eight months pregnant. Keshia Golden faces first-degree murder charges for allegedly killing her boyfriend, Calvin Sidne y, in 2022. Keshia Golden will stand trial in August for the murder of her boyfriend, Calvin Sidney. Her attorneys and advocates argue that she stabbed Sidney in self-defense while she was eight months pregnant. (Photos: Screenshots/WLS) Golden’s attorneys argue that Sidney launched a violent confrontation with Golden after a baby shower for their first child in October of that year, according to WLS. An argument broke out over who could use the microwave, and Golden reportedly “knocked a plate of food” out of Sidney’s hands. ‘Not Appropriate’: Photo of High School Senior in Barely-There Dress on Prom Night Goes Viral, Inspires Heated Opinions When Sidney allegedly slammed Golden into a counter and a fridge, Golden grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the leg. She pierced his femoral artery, and Sidney later died at the hospital. “Hit her, grabbed her hair, slammed her head down on a kitchen counter, and the fight was then dragged into another room. Keshia grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the leg,” Golden’s attorney, Julie Koehler, stated. Prosecutors argue that the altercation intensified when Sidney walked into a bedroom, and Golden followed him inside armed with a knife, where she fatally stabbed him while he was lying down. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office wanted to strike a plea deal with Golden last month, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. If she pleaded guilty to downgraded charges of second-degree murder, she’d walk out of court with no jail time and only two years probation. Golden’s attorneys rejected the agreement, stating that the consequences of the plea would impact Golden’s quality of life. She would have to register as a violent offender and would have limited access to employment opportunities and benefits. Her lawyers plan to mount an argument at trial that Golden was truly defending herself and her unborn child when she stabbed Sidney. Court documents reveal that police were called to respond to five domestic violence incidents between Golden and Sidney before the fatal stabbing. “He choked her while she was 18 weeks pregnant. So there’s lots of documentation, and I wish there had been more intervention at those earlier stages,” Sierra Bartlett, with the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, said. Golden’s defense team is confident that she will be cleared of wrongdoing during the trial. “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,” said Cook County Assistant Public Defender Kyan Keenan. Her trial is scheduled for August 17. In the years since her arrest, she has given birth to her daughter Ky’liyah and has been able to raise her outside of jail thanks to the support of her lawyers and advocates. Her supporters held a rally in downtown Chicago on April 6 and called for prosecutors to drop the charges against Golden. “Justice is not ignoring a woman cries for help until it’s too late and then condemning her for surviving,” said Dyanna Winchester, with the Women’s Justice Institute. “It’s a scary message to send the women of Cook County, that if you defend yourself in an abusive relationship, that you could face first-degree murder charges,” Bartlett said. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office said they are unable to comment on the case while it remains pending. “In every case, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office carefully evaluates the facts and the law to make appropriate charging decisions,” the office said in a statement, per CBS News. ‘Slammed Her Head Down’: Chicago Woman Was 8 Months Pregnant When She Fatally Stabbed Boyfriend. Now Supporters Want Charges Dropped ...read more read less