A Lummi Nation man has been convicted of assault by strangulation, a federal offense, following a testimony that lasted over seven days. Joseph Michael Quincy Jefferson, 35, was subject to a jury's deliberation, which concluded after around ninety minutes, finding him guilty, as U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced yesterday. Sentencing by U.S. District Judge Lauren King has been scheduled for April 2025.
The incident, which took place on the night of April 8, 2023, involved Jefferson physically attacking his live-in partner. He was accused of punching her, pushing her, and using the crook of his elbow to strangle her, causing the victim to lose consciousness twice, according to records from the trial. In a desperate state, the victim sought help from both a friend and a neighbor after escaping the residence. She reported to the Lummi Nation Police and was treated for her injuries, including a broken nose, at a hospital.
During the trial, Jefferson claimed that the assault was an act of self-defense, a stance the prosecutors fiercely contested. "He was the aggressor... There is no evidence that he faced immediate use of unlawful force," Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Lee argued, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office during the closure of the trial. "This is a case of gratuitous, intentional violence from someone who was jealous, angry, and drunk," she added.
Jefferson has been in custody since late October 2024 following his actions and breach of pretrial release conditions. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, his release was retracted upon violating his bond conditions through ongoing contact with the victim. When sentenced, he faces the potential of up to ten years in prison for the federal crime of Assault by Strangulation. The investigation was a joint effort between the Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI, with Assistant United States Attorneys Celia Lee and Erika Evans leading the prosecution.
