LA PLATA, Md. — On May 13, 2025, a jury in the Circuit Court for Charles County acquitted Damian Darnell Chapman on all counts related to allegations of child abuse and assault. Chapman had been charged with felony second-degree child abuse and misdemeanor second-degree assault, stemming from an incident that prosecutors argued was malicious in nature.
Chapman, represented by attorneys Yladrea Drummond of Drummond Law Group and Jonathan E. Butler of the Law Office of Jonathan E. Butler LLC, maintained throughout the proceedings that his actions constituted lawful parental discipline. The defense successfully argued that Maryland law supports a parent’s right to choose corporal punishment when not excessive or cruel. The jury ultimately sided with the defense, issuing a full acquittal.
“From the beginning, Mr. Chapman maintained that he has the right to parent, and he was willing to go to trial to preserve the right to raise his children by continuing to show up in their lives,” said attorney Drummond. “We did just that, and justice was served.”
Chapman expressed relief after the trial, thanking his attorneys and characterizing the prosecution as a misguided overreach. The defense also emphasized concerns over what they called a “frivolous prosecution” and the implications for parental rights.
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Oh my! Don’t tell us that ‘THEY’ charged him for spanking his child. That could lead the poor child into a life of obedience of the law and ‘THEY’ don’t want that.