A Plato Township man – already on probation after pleading guilty to felony aggravated domestic battery involving a face-stomping incident – faces new felony domestic battery charges, court records show.

In accordance with the 2024 plea agreement, Eric D. Zimmerman, 39, was placed on 48 months of probation.

He was to fulfill other requirements, such as not contacting the victim, not using drugs or alcohol, being subject to random drug testing – and having no further criminal violations, court records show.

At his sentencing hearing, Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Hannah Stout said Zimmerman was dating the victim and had an argument with her on Aug. 22, 2023.

“During that argument, he stomped on [her] face,” fracturing the woman’s nose and cheek bones, Stout had said.

As part of the agreement, Zimmerman also pleaded guilty to violating an order of protection, a misdemeanor.

In 2021, Zimmerman had also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge causing bodily harm, records show.

At his sentencing, Circuit Judge D.J. Tegeler warned Zimmerman that the aggravated domestic battery charge is a Class 2 felony, punishable by three to seven years in prison and possibly an extended term of seven to 14 years.

“If you violate this probation, it’s probably not going to go well for you,” Tegeler had said. “You will follow all the rules of probation. You will have no further criminal violations.”

The new charges, filed June 4, stemmed from an alleged March 25 incident in an SUV, records show.

“The matter was under investigation until June 4, when he was charged,” according to an email from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s spokesman explaining the two months that transpired before the charges were brought. “This case being pretrial, we can’t disclose any additional information at this time.”

According to the charging documents for the new case, Zimmerman is accused of grabbing a woman and bruising her arm. He’s also accused of driving fast and then slamming on the brakes, allegedly knowing that because she was not wearing a seatbelt, she would strike the dashboard or the windshield – which she did, resulting in a cut to her tongue, according to the court records. They also show Zimmerman allegedly made physical contact of an insulting nature and is also accused of unlawful restraint by refusing to stop the car and let the woman out.

All four charges are Class 4 felonies, punishable by one to three years in prison and fines up to $25,000, if he’s convicted.

Zimmerman was also charged with misdemeanor interference with the reporting of a domestic battery by allegedly throwing the woman’s phone into the third seating row of the SUV he was driving, records show. The charge is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by to 364 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $2,500 upon a conviction.

Assistant State’s Attorney Maggie Walgreen filed a petition seeking to deny Zimmerman’s pretrial release, citing his prior convictions, and asserting that he “poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community.”

Walgreen’s petition also cited Zimmerman’s three previous guilty pleas to domestic battery in 2021, and to aggravated domestic battery and violating an order of protection, both in 2024.

After a June 7 detention hearing, Associate Judge Bradley David denied the state’s petition and allowed pretrial release for Zimmerman.

The terms for Zimmerman’s current pretrial release include that he not have contact with the victim; that he obeys all court orders; not commit any other criminal offenses; not possess any firearms or dangerous weapons; not use alcohol, intoxicating or controlled substances; and undergoes alcohol and drug testing, court records show.

“Basically, he maintains his innocence and we look forward to having this matter resolved,” Zimmerman’s attorney Connor Greene said.

On April 29, Zimmerman’s previous attorney filed court papers seeking to reduce his probation by one year, to 36 months from 48 months, records show.

“Defendant went through his first year of probation without any violations and was in compliance with all probation terms,” according to the court filing. “Said original sentencing order also required another 12 months to be taken off his probation if there are no violations during his second year of probation, and if defendant was in compliance with all terms.”

In a court appearance on May 7, before the newly filed charges, prosecutors approved a new sentencing order for Zimmerman’s probation end date to be June 7, 2027, instead of June 7, 2028.

Tegeler set June 18 for Zimmerman’s court appearance on the motion to reduce his probation term – the same day he’s also set to appear before Circuit Judge David Kliment on the new charges, court records show.