GOLDEN — A Jefferson County School Board member who is a state legislative candidate pleaded guilty this morning in Jefferson County Court to a charge of third-degree assault for slapping and choking of his 16-year-old daughter.
The charge of harassment against Vince Chowdhury, 48, was dropped in connection with the June 17 incident.
Chowdhury received a one-year deferred judgment and must attend anger management classes. He must pay about $200 in fines and court costs.
Chowdhury apologized to the community and especially to his wife and daughter.
“I should have used better judgment,” he said.
He deferred questions on the future of his candidacy or his seat on the school board, saying a decision hadn’t been made.
Chowdhury was arrested and spent the night of June 17 in the Jefferson County Jail.
The arrest affidavit states Chowdhury became angry after he arrived home and his wife and daughter did not open the garage door when he honked his car horn.
Katherine Chowdhury and their daughter said they apologized. The affidavit said Katherine Chowdhury said her husband thought their daughter was mocking him and slapped her face.
The daughter backed away, but Chowdhury choked her, the daughter said. She told police she bit his hand in self-defense before her mother tried to pull Chowdhury off her.
The affidavit said the girl locked herself in her bedroom until deputies arrived. Deputies reported the girl’s cheeks were red, her throat was slightly red and that she was visibly upset and shaking when they first talked with her.
Katherine Chowdhury said that when she told her husband she was calling 911, he said he would hit her, the affidavit said.
Chowdhury told deputies he just “lost it” when his wife and daughter did not hear him honking the horn.
Chowdhury admitted to slapping his daughter, but he denied choking her. When asked about the bite wound, he told deputies his daughter bit him when he was slapping her.
Ann Schrader: 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com
