Gonzalez pleads ‘no contest’ to felony assault, will get 1 year in jail

By Diane Madigan
Independent Court Reporter
At an appearance on Feb. 1 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit, Kara Gonzalez, 43, of Sumpter Township pleaded “no contest” to the charge of Assault with Intent to Commit Great Bodily Harm Less Than Murder.
Gonzales is now looking at one year in Wayne County Jail followed by two years of probation.
On Feb. 1 Gonzalez accepted a plea agreement between her attorney Murray Duncan and a Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor. Charges of unarmed robbery and aggravated assault were dismissed with Gonzalez’s acceptance of the felony charge that could bring a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Circuit Court Judge Ulysses Boykin asked the reason for the “no contest plea” and Duncan said that was because of a possible civil liability suit.
Upon Gonzalez’s agreement to the no-contest plea, the case was laid out by Judge Boykin.
On Sept. 1, 2012, at 244 Creekside Drive in Sumpter Township, Gonzalez assaulted Rebecca Buckingham by kicking and punching her several times in her face while she lay on the ground.
From Gonzalez’s attack, Buckingham suffered a fracture to her nose, a broken orbital bone and minor brain trauma. Buckingham was taken to University of Michigan Hospital where she was treated for five days.
According to her victim and witnesses, Gonzalez took Buckingham’s wallet that contained $180. Gonzalez is ordered to pay restitution, have no contact with her victim, continue the orders of her bond, and show up for sentencing at 9 a.m. March 4 in Judge Boykin’s courtroom.
Her case was referred to the Probation Department for a pre-sentence report.