LOS ANGELES — Inglewood Mayor James Butts Jr.’s 37-year-old daughter was sentenced Thursday to four years in state prison for her conviction on assault and conspiracy charges stemming from allegations that she masterminded an attack on her landlord in South Los Angeles nearly eight years ago.
Superior Court Judge Mildred Escobedo noted that she considered the defense’s request for probation for Ashley Melissa Butts, who had no prior criminal history. But the judge opted instead to hand down the maximum sentence requested by the prosecution, saying that she didn’t know if the woman can “learn from her mistakes.”
The judge also denied a defense request to release Butts on bail pending her appeal of the case.
Butts has been behind bars since she was convicted last July 17 of one count each of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and conspiracy to commit assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury involving the April 30, 2016, attack.
The conspiracy count alleged that Butts directed co-defendant Israel Rios to come to the residence she shared with her landlord to “commit an assault upon the victim for cash,” and then unlocked the door of the home to allow Israel Rios and/or a man identified only as John Doe to enter into the home. The conspiracy count also alleged that her landlord suffered lacerations and contusions on his head after being assaulted with a metal object and that a firearm was discharged during the crime.
Rios, 44, is awaiting trial on charges including assault.
In a brief statement before the sentence was imposed, Butts said that she “wanted to make it clear to the court that I do accept responsibility for my actions.”
“I am remorseful,” she said, adding that she was “very sorry I disrespected this court.”
The judge said Butts “manipulated” others around her, and engaged in “terrible and abusive treatment” of the courtroom’s staff, including contacting court…
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