Girlfriend admits assaulting Utah Jazz player Al Jefferson

HOLLADAY — The girlfriend of Al Jefferson pleaded guilty Wednesday to assaulting the Utah Jazz player.

Shirley Lewis, 38, entered a plea in abeyance to assault, a class B misdemeanor. A second class B misdemeanor count of domestic violence in the presence of a child was dismissed in exchange for the woman's plea.

The plea in abeyance means that the charge against Lewis will be dismissed in a year and the guilty plea withdrawn if she avoids any further violations of the law and pays $623 in court fees.

Lewis was arrested Dec. 8 after she called police from the home she shared with Jefferson near 8000 South and Highland Drive. Police determined that it was a domestic violence incident and that Lewis was the aggressor.

Lewis "was in a verbal argument with her live-in boyfriend, Al Jefferson, when she hit him and bit him on the back," according to a Salt Lake County Jail report. It did not appear that alcohol played a factor in the incident, although police were unsure what prompted the argument.

Two children, ages 3 and 9, were home at the time of the incident and were "visibly upset," police said. Both Jefferson and Lewis were cooperative with police.

The 6-foot-10, 289-pound Jazz center never commented on the case, calling it a "personal matter." It was unclear Wednesday whether the couple is still in a relationship.

— Emiley Morgan, Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam