Kiyon Brown Sentenced For Aggravated Assault and Battery; Denied New Trial

A Casper man convicted of breaking his ex-girlfriend's jaw will spend time behind bars and may not have a new trial.

Twenty-nine-year-old Kiyon Brown was sentenced to six-to-nine years in prison after a jury found him guilty on one felony charge of aggravated assault and battery.

Investigators say in late February, Brown was ending a relationship with his girlfriend,  sparking an argument that resulted in an attempt by his girlfriend’s sister to intervene.

He told police that the sister jumped him and he started swinging, hitting his girlfriend, who suffered a compound fracture of her jaw.

Brown's defense also argued for a new trial because his request to change from a jury to a bench trial was denied.

The judge denied a new trial, because of a rule that states a defendant can only have a trial changed from jury to bench if it's approved by the court with consent of the state.

Brown's defense argued that prosecutors did not want the change because they wanted to play off of the jury's sympathy and passion, claiming the same strategy would not have been used at a bench trial.