A state legislator’s daughter and her boyfriend pleaded guilty Friday to reduced charges of misdemeanor battery in an attack last year on her mother’s political rival, court records show.
Jessica Soto and Bradley Fichter, both 28, each were sentenced to two years’ probation by Cook County Judge Erica Reddick. Both must also complete 40 hours of community service, while Soto was also ordered to enroll in anger management classes. Both had initially been charged with aggravated battery, a felony.
Soto is the daughter of state Rep. Cynthia Soto, D-Chicago, who last year faced Robert Zwolinski in the primary for the state’s 4th District. Soto beat Zwolinski handily just days before her daughter and Fichter appeared in court for their bond hearing.
The elder Soto could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
In March 2016, just days before the primary election, Soto and Fichter attacked Zwolinski outside his campaign headquarters in the 800 block of North Ashland Avenue, prosecutors said last year.
Soto and Fichter were stapling pro-Cynthia Soto campaign posters to a nearby building when Zwolinski and his girlfriend drove past, jumped out of his car and approached the pair, according to prosecutors. An argument ensued, prosecutors said, and Fichter punched Zwolinski in the eye, striking him multiple times. Soto joined in, punching Zwolinski in the ribs and knocking him to the ground, they said. Soto then “squeezed” Zwolinski’s genital area, used a staple gun on his face and smashed an empty beer bottle on his nose, prosecutors said.
Zwolinski suffered a broken nose and black eye and needed six stitches from the attack, according to prosecutors. The next day, Zwolinski posted a photo of himself on Twitter with a bloody gash on his forehead and his nose purple and swollen.
“Politics is a contact sport. Apparently that’s literally the case,” he wrote.
Donald Rendler-Kaplan, Soto’s attorney, characterized the incident as a misunderstanding that started when Zwolinski began ripping down the campaign posters.
“It was our belief that he instigated everything and that our people just retaliated, so to speak,” said Rendler-Kaplan, who said he was pleased with the case’s ultimate conclusion.
Reached for comment Friday by telephone, Zwolinski also said he was satisfied, particularly with the requirement for Soto to go to anger management.
“I don’t want to put anyone away for 100 years,” he said. “I wanted to kind of see that they did get their justice, but I’m not here to see them rot in a cell.”
Zwolinski said he has no plans to run again for the state representative seat, but he did not rule out a run for local office.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @crepeau
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