Trial set for Chicago woman accused of killing boyfriend after baby shower — despite calls to drop charges

A trial date was set Tuesday for a Chicago woman accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend, despite her attorneys arguing she acted in self-defense while she was pregnant.

Keshia Golden's attorneys have argued that her boyfriend, Calvin Sidney, grew violent after a shower for their first child in October 2022, slamming Golden into a counter and a fridge while she was eight months pregnant.

Officials have said she grabbed a knife and stabbed Sidney in the leg, hitting his femoral artery and causing his death. Golden faces faces two counts of first-degree murder.

The Cook County state's attorney's office offered a plea deal last month to lesser charges of second-degree murder in exchange for two years of probation. But Golden’s attorneys said accepting the deal would have lasting consequences, requiring her to register as a violent offender, limiting her access to benefits and impacting her employment opportunities.

With no deal struck, Cook County Judge Steven Watkins on Tuesday set a trial date of Aug. 17. Golden has been out of jail while awaiting trial, thanks to her team of lawyers and advocates. She was able to give birth and raise her daughter, Ky’liyah.

Her backers filled the courtroom in a sea of purple, hoping prosecutors would drop the charges Tuesday. Instead, they were disappointed by the decision to move forward.

Kyle Keenan, one of Golden's attorneys, said prosecutors "had another opportunity to do the right thing in this case and refused to dismiss the charges."

“The message that the state is sending is that if you defend yourself, you will be punished,” he said.

A status hearing was scheduled for July 13.