A Lake County judge accepted former Lake County Councilman Jamal Washington’s plea deal Friday — which allowed him to avoid prison for attacking former Gary City Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade.
It was his third domestic violence-related case between 2015 and 2019.
Washington, 52, of Merrillville, pleaded guilty July 9 to criminal confinement, a Level 6 felony, and domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor.
He will serve 2.5 years probation and complete a batterer’s intervention program. Down the line, he could petition to knock the Level 6 felony down to a misdemeanor.
Sparks-Wade did not attend Friday’s hearing.
Deputy Prosecutor Arturo Balcazar said there were evidence issues that made a plea agreement preferable rather than going to trial. Since it happened in 2019, Washington had no other arrests, he said.
Defense lawyer Darnail Lyles said he was a “little concerned” when Judge Natalie Bokota delayed sentencing in July, after Sparks-Wade spoke in court, to go back over Washington’s criminal record.
When prosecutors contact a victim to review the plea, “I’m assuming (she) is good with it,” he said.
“I’ve never assumed that, even as a deputy prosecutor,” Bokota responded.
Washington spoke briefly.
“It’s been a long time, I do apologize,” he said. “I’m sorry I hurt her in that way.”
There was “always two sides” to a story, he said.
Police were called the morning of Jan. 30, 2019, to Sparks-Wade’s home on Martin Luther King Drive in Gary for a welfare check, a probable cause affidavit states. Sparks-Wade told police the pair had been arguing on Jan. 29, 2019, when she told Washington that she was going to make another person her campaign manager, according to the affidavit.
Washington “started to strike her in her back, arm and head areas with his fists,” and threw her cell phone at her, “striking her in the mouth,” according to the affidavit.
Washington threatened to “knock her out” and “kill her,” according to the affidavit, and Sparks-Wade said “she feared for her life.”
On the morning of Jan. 30, Sparks-Wade was able to text somebody and police were called to the house, according to the affidavit.
Washington’s political career as a Lake County councilman was overshadowed by a trail of domestic-related criminal charges. In 2018, Washington lost a primary bid to unseat Lake County Commissioner Kyle Allen, D-1st.
