Charges reduced for man accused of choking daughter

BENTON, Mo. -- The changing story of a young girl means her stepfather will not face felony child abuse charges.

Assistant Scott County prosecutor Dana Weiss agreed Tuesday to reduce charges against Donald L. Williams to a misdemeanor and recommend probation in exchange for a guilty plea. But Circuit Judge David Dolan wasn't ready to accept the proposed sentence without further review, so the case will be transferred to another judge.

"I was not happy about that at all," Weiss said of the decision to reduce the charges. "The custodial parent appears to not want to support the state's position, and she's gotten her daughter to support her as well."

Felony domestic abuse charges filed in Cape Girardeau County against Williams, 35, were reduced to misdemeanor charges last week at the urging of the girl's mother, Shamela Williams.

Donald Williams, of Cape Girardeau, was accused in June of grabbing his stepdaughter's arm so hard he left bruises and clutching her throat, leaving a red mark.

The incident was reported to Scott City police by the girl's natural father, Ronnie Fluegge.

In an interview after the brief court hearing, Donald Williams said he never choked his stepdaughter. The girl and her older stepbrother were fighting, he said, and he broke it up at his wife's request.

"If I did put a bruise on her, it wasn't intentional," Williams said.

At Williams' urging, the girl shook her head "no" when he asked if he had ever hurt her.

The plea agreement was a way to end the court case, he said. Williams has numerous previous convictions for offenses ranging from burglary to domestic violence and driving while intoxicated.

With that record, he said, pleading guilty will prevent him from serving a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Assistant public defender Ted Liszewski declined to comment on the case.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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