Sentencing postponed in sexual assault case

GREENWICH — Sentencing has been postponed in the criminal case against Chris von Keyserling, a former Greenwich public official who is facing the possibility of a year behind bars after he was convicted in July on a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree sexual assault.

The sentencing for von Keyserling had been set for Thursday. But it has now been rescheduled for Oct. 5 at state Superior Court in Stamford, according to the court calendar.

After a trial that lasted three days, a jury found von Keyserling guilty of touching or pinching a woman in late 2016 after a holiday party at the Nathaniel Witherell, a townowned and -managed nursing home and rehabilitation facility.

Von Keyserling, who was then a member of the Representative Town Meeting, had a contentious discussion about politics with the woman, who was a town employee, and he followed her to her office, according to testimony. He put his hands on her rear-end and intimate parts as she was leaving the office, according to state prosecutors.

While on the witness stand, the woman who accused von Keyserling recounted her recollections of that December morning, in which von Keyserling used demeaning language and then made a repugnant comment in front of her and another woman about how he liked his women “cold and bitter,” like his coffee.

The misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum penalty of one year behind bars, although judges rarely impose prison time for first-time offenders on misdemeanor cases. The court has a range of options, including fines, community service, required education and probation, that can be ordered.