Woman found guilty of battery for altercation at Colfax High School

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE — An 18-year-old woman who was a student at Colfax High School at the time of the incident has been found guilty of misdemeanor battery and sentenced to one year of probation and 20 hours of community service.

Jennifer E. Huffman, along with her attorney Francis Rivard, appeared for a plea and sentencing hearing in Dunn County Circuit Court before Judge James Peterson August 30.

Huffman initially was charged with one felony count of substantial battery causing bodily harm and two misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct.

Judge Peterson accepted Huffman’s plea of no contest to the charge of misdemeanor battery and found her guilty.

The judge withheld sentence and placed Huffman on one year of probation and ordered her to pay $243 in court costs and a $200 DNA surcharge.

Huffman also was ordered to complete 20 hours of community service by March 1, 2018, and to participate in any counseling ordered by her probation agent.

In addition, Judge Peterson said if Huffman successfully completes probation and pays the court costs, the charges will be expunged from her record.

According to the criminal complaint, Huffman initiated a fight with another student at Colfax High School in February of 2016.

Colfax Police Chief William Anderson responded to the high school on the afternoon of February 5, 2016, where he located Huffman in the office of the high school principal.

John Dachel, the principal, told Police Chief Anderson about a half hour earlier, a disagreement had turned into an altercation with another student, which had occurred in the commons area of the high school.

Huffman had punched the other student in the head repeatedly, had slammed the victim’s head on the floor and wall, had pulled her hair, kicked her and scratched her, Dachel said, according to the criminal complaint.

Dachel also said a teacher had tried to break up the fight and was bitten by Huffman hard enough to break the skin and cause an injury.

Police Chief Anderson learned there had been a disagreement between Huffman and the victim earlier in the week and the altercation had been a continuance of the disagreement, according to the complaint.

The victim said she had been sitting at a table with some friends in the commons area, that her friends had asked about the disagreement from earlier in the week, that she had told them about the disagreement and that Huffman was sitting at a nearby table and heard what she was talking about.

Huffman started raising her voice and went over to where the victim was sitting. The victim said she ignored Huffman, who then attacked her, grabbed her hair, pushed her toward the floor and punched her in the face and head numerous times, according to the complaint.

Battery is a Class A misdemeanor that carries a penalty of a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to nine months.