CLEVELAND (AP) - The grandson of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson on Wednesday pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the midst of his trial on a felonious assault charge for what prosecutors said was an attack on the grandson’s girlfriend.
A county judge in Cleveland sentenced Frank Q. Jackson, 22, of Cleveland, to 18 months’ probation after accepting his guilty plea to misdemeanor assault, cleveland.com reported. Jackson was accused of striking the woman inside a pickup truck and hitting her with a metal trailer hitch.
Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Diane Russell said a plea deal was struck after a request by Jackson’s attorney. The county prosecutor’s office agreed after evaluating testimony from key witnesses including the woman Jackson was accused of attacking, Russell said.
Defense attorney Jeffrey Saffold said Wednesday that prosecutors overcharged Frank Q. Jackson because of public pressure.
“This is a terrible case that would have never been brought were it not for who his grandfather is,” Saffold said.
Mayor Jackson sat in the back of the courtroom on Wednesday. He declined to be interviewed but said he was happy for his grandson.
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