Lawrence Man Pleads to Aggravated Battery and Other Charges

09/03/2010
CONTACT INFO: Charles Branson Douglas County District Attorney 785-841-0211 cbranson@douglas-county.com Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announced today Lawrence resident Damien L. Shields, 33, plead guilty to felony Aggravated Battery, Violation of a Protective Order and two counts of Domestic Battery. The original Domestic Battery charge stemmed from an incident that occurred on December 29 when the Lawrence Police Department (LPD) was called to the residence where Mr. Shields was living with the victim. Reports from LPD indicated Mr. Shields had battered the victim by pulling a clump of hair from her head during the course of an argument the pair was having. As a result of the incident, Shields was arrested and a condition of his bond was he could not have contact with the victim. The named bond condition was still in effect when Shields had contact with the victim on April 10. On that date Shields committed the second Domestic Battery and Aggravated Battery. Officers with LPD were contacted after the victim left the residence seeking help for the injuries she sustained in the batteries. Mr. Shields faces a maximum prison sentence, depending on his criminal history, of up to 136 months in prison for the Aggravated Battery and up to one year for each of the misdemeanor convictions. He will be sentenced on November 2 at 9:00 a.m. Today's hearing was held in the courtroom of the Honorable Sally D. Pokorny. The cases were investigated by LPD. Assistant District Attorneys Greg Benefiel and Jim McCabria prosecuted the cases. -30-

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Media Contact:
Cheryl L. Wright - Assistant to the District Attorney
District Attorney's Office
785-841-0211
cwright@douglas-county.com