Marietta City Councilman Anthony Coleman pleaded guilty to assaulting fellow council member Annette Lewis last fall in the City Hall parking lot after the two disagreed over a proposed city redistricting map.
Coleman, who entered his plea before Cobb State Court Judge Irma Glover Wednesday, was sentenced to 12 months probation, a $600 fine, an anger management evaluation, and 80 hours of community service.
Neither Coleman nor Lewis could be reached for comment Thursday.
Coleman’s attorney, Thomas Browning, said Coleman decided against a jury trial because it would have been too destructive to the city and the council.
“The plea brought the matter to a close,” said Browning. "The city functions well, the city council functions well, and if we had a trial, there were 40 witnesses subpoenaed . . . it would have torn this city apart.”
The incident took place Sept. 22 after redistricting meeting in which Ward 1 council member Lewis presented a proposed redistricting map that would meet a federal requirement of creating a majority black district.
The district she proposed would be on the opposite end of town from Coleman’s current Ward 5. Such a redistricting could cost Coleman, who is black, his council seat because he could end up in a redrawn district that is not majority black.
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