On Friday, February 16, 2018, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andy Erwin convicted 27 year-old Jordan Adam Sutherland of multiple incidents of domestic violence, including of Assault in the First Degree for pushing the mother of his infant son off a third-story balcony.

On the evening of September 11, 2017, multiple witnesses heard Sutherland loudly arguing with his 27 year-old girlfriend at the apartment they shared in Hillsboro. Shortly after she exclaimed “Don’t hurt me!” eyewitnesses saw Sutherland use two hands to push her off their balcony and onto the concrete below. Initial reports mistakenly informed police the victim was deceased, as frantic witnesses saw she was unconscious with blood pooling around her head. The victim was transported to Emmanuel Hospital where she was treated for a fractured spine and a large laceration on her head that required fourteen staples to close.

During the investigation officers learned of a previously unreported incident where Sutherland punched the victim and broke her jaw in mid-August, 2017. While Sutherland was lodged in the Washington County Jail for both of those assaults he also violated court no-contact orders with the victim and was charged with twelve separate counts of contempt. All of these charges were set for the same trial date.

During a week-long court trial before Judge Erwin the defense argued that Sutherland had been heroically trying to save his girlfriend as she fell from the balcony during a misguided suicide attempt. Sutherland testified that he held onto the victim as long as possible as she dramatically hung from the ledge. He was supported by his cousin and the victim, who was uncooperative with the investigation and prosecution. Sutherland’s mother, who had the couple’s baby at the time of the incident, was also in attendance but had to be ordered out of the courtroom twice by Judge Erwin due to her behavior.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lesowski successfully argued that the State’s eyewitnesses and physical evidence were more credible than Sutherland’s implausible story. Sentencing is scheduled for February 27, 2018, at 1:30pm in Courtroom 422J.