Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
Grammy-nominated artist James Fortune is proof that domestic abusers come in all shapes, forms and faiths. Yesterday in court as part of a plea deal, he plead guilty to abusing his wife of 15 years, Cheryl Fortune.
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According to ABC-13 Houston News, in October 2014, Fortune “struck his wife with a wooden vanity stool, kicked her and threw her against a wall one night inside their Stafford, [Texas] home.”
His wife, who was not present in court, wrote a victim impact statement for the prosecutor to read aloud. It said, “I hope in all of this you get help. Serious help. Although this probation might be like a slap on the wrist, I hope you look at it as a moment to better yourself and change something within you for your future.”
Mrs. Fortune agreed to the plea deal to “spare their children from possibly testifying against him in a trial, ” New York Daily News noted.
In addition to Fortune serving five years of probation and five days in jail, he must complete 175 hours of community service and a “batterer’s intervention” program. He must also stay away from his wife as well.
As Fortune walked out of court, he gave no comment. Meanwhile, his mother told ABC-13 News that her son was not guilty, despite Fortune saying otherwise.
To be expected, Twitter wasn’t here for Fortune’s abusive ways or how the faith community has coddled him over the years.
This isn’t Fortune’s first run-in with the law.
In 2002, he was sentenced to six years probation in another plea deal after he poured scalding hot water on his 4-year old son to “discipline him,” which ended up burning over 40 percent of the baby’s body. His “crime?” Using crayons to color on a table at his pre-school.
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Gospel Artist James Fortune Pleads Guilty To Beating His Wife was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
