Kloth sentenced to Iron jail in mining protest

HURLEY - A Weston, Wis., woman was sentenced to nine months in jail and seven years of probation Wednesday on two charges that resulted from a heated 2013 confrontation at a proposed iron mine site near Upson.

Katie Kloth, 27, had previously entered a guilty plea in Iron County Court to felony robbery by use of force and misdemeanor malicious destruction or property.

Acting Judge Douglas Fox, from Price County, noted he could have sentenced Kloth to a maximum of 15 years and nine months in prison.

On June 11, 2013, Kloth used force to grab and destroy a camera at the mine site, wrestling it away from a contracted employee who was working for Gogebic-Taconite.

The case gained statewide attention when a video of the violent disturbance, involving around 15 masked protesters throwing various items, was circulated on the Internet. After the protest, the first day of drilling was delayed until the next morning.

Fox did not want to watch the seven-minute video on Wednesday, saying he had enough information to proceed with sentencing, including a pre-sentence report.

Fox ordered Kloth to apologize to two victims who were traumatized by the event and also to the drilling company that sustained property damage.

She must also pay the victims' damages and make restitution to the drilling company of at least $1,500.

As a convicted felon, Kloth will not be allowed to possess a weapon or vote.

Two other charges, theft and a second malicious destruction of property, were dismissed through a plea agreement.

Iron County District Attorney Marty Lipske said, "I personally wish that we were sentencing all of them," referring to the protesters at the site. He called them "a group of cowards" for hiding behind masks.

Lipske said Kloth declined to identify the other protesters.

He said Kloth was the leader of the group, but her attorney, John Bachman, denied that.

Bachman had sought community service in the sentence, but Fox ordered the jail time, with work release privileges to be determined by Iron County Sheriff Tony Furyk.

Fox said he'd like to see Kloth, a college graduate, obtain full-time employment. She said she plans to work for the Lac Court Oreilles tribe in its sugarbush.

Fox wasn't pleased that Kloth didn't seem to accept responsibility for her actions that deeply affected the two women at the mine site.

One victim said she feared for her life, not knowing what the protesters carried in their backpacks.

Kloth also threatened to burn down the ****ing houses of the employees.

Fox said Kloth's actions were "deplorable" and she should be ashamed of her immature behavior.

He called her a "zealot" who thought she was engaging in a noble cause, to protect the environment, but was actually committing a crime against fellow citizens.

Referring to many letters of support for Kloth that the court received, Fox said most of the supporters don't understand "why her actions were so shameful."

He cited the example of one of the victims who asked, "What if this would have happened at a McDonald's?"

Kloth apologized for her actions and said she would never harm the employees, nor their families, as she had threatened.

She said her position on the mine has not changed. She said the mine would leave "a gaping hole in the earth and destroy wetlands and rivers."

Weeping, she said she feels she has already been punished in many ways and her family has been affected.

The sentencing hearing went on for two hours and was attended by about 50 people, including both mining opponents and G-Tac employees.

There were at least a dozen law enforcement officers in or around the courtroom.

Fox said a probation agent will determine possible anger management treatment for Kloth.

He ruled Kloth must begin serving her Iron County jail term in two weeks.

Another charge

Near the end of the sentencing hearing, Lipske said a bail jumping charge has been filed against Kloth because she allegedly participated in a snowshoe hike in the "forbidden zone" at the G-Tac mine site over the weekend.

She was not allowed on the G-Tac site as part of her bail conditions.

Fox said that will be a separate court case.

The bail jumping charge was filed Tuesday.