Above: Joshua James Slaughter | Yuba County District Attorney’s Office
In a verdict delivered on Wednesday, March 29, a Yuba County jury found 28-year-old Joshua James Slaughter guilty of felony domestic violence.
According to a press release by the Yuba County District Attorney, the verdict was handed down in connection to an incident in Marysville on September 7, 2022, in which Slaughter threw his then-girlfriend, identified as Jane, face-first into a wall after she told him she “needed some space” and asked him to leave her home.
Jane, who had previously testified at a preliminary hearing, developed bruises to both arms and suffered two black eyes and a possibly broken nose. At that point, she ran to the door, opened it, and screamed at Slaughter to leave.
After ordering Slaughter to leave, Jane called the police and Slaughter was later arrested, the District Attorney’s Office said.
Marysville Police Officer Autumn Rosenfeld had responded to Jane’s 911 call on the day of the incident and observed that Jane was holding an ice pack to her face and had a bleeding cut on her nose. Jane recalled during her testimony that her face had felt “crushed.”
Rosenfeld also observed that Jane’s four-year-old daughter was in the apartment during the incident.
During the trial, the jury heard from multiple witnesses, including responding officers and Slaughter himself. Jane, who had moved from the area, was unavailable for the trial, but her prior testimony was read to the jury. The jury also heard from one of Slaughter’s previous girlfriend, identified as Sally, who testified that Slaughter was controlling, jealous, and had physically assaulted her during their brief relationship.
Slaughter, who is over six feet tall and weighs over 200 pounds, claimed he was defending himself when he threw Jane into the wall. He told the jury that her injuries were either caused by him accidentally or by her purposely jumping into the wall face-first. However, the jury found Slaughter guilty after around an hour of deliberations.
Yuba County Deputy District Attorney Brad Morrow tried the case, and sentencing is set for May 1, at 9 AM. Slaughter remains free pending sentencing but faces up to four years in state prison.
