Three not-guilty pleas entered in battery case

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Hurley — Not guilty pleas were entered in Judge Patrick Madden’s Iron County Courtroom Wednesday during the initial appearance of three defendants charged with a range of crimes including misdemeanor battery.

John Paul Ranta, 29, of Woodruff, Wis., is facing a felony charge of strangulation and suffocation — which carries a maximum penalty of 6 years in prison and a $10,000 fine — and two misdemeanor charges.

The misdemeanor charges — battery and disorderly conduct — carry maximum penalties of 9 months in jail as well as a $10,000 fine, and 9 months in jail as well as a $1,000 fine respectively.

The two other defendants — Deborah L. Ritchie, 28, of Woodruff, and Clarissa May Roberts, 37, of Minocqua, Wis., — also face misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges.

Both Ranta’s and Ritchie’s charges are designated as domestic abuse, which could result in additional penalties if they are found guilty.

The charges stem from a series of incidents in Mercer, according to the criminal complaints against the three defendants.

According to the complaint against Ranta, a deputy with the Iron County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of a woman being abused in Mercer at approximately 2:32 a.m. on Aug. 31. The complaint said the woman showed the deputy signs of abuse, including apparent cigarette burns, and alleged that they were caused by her housemates, including Ranta and Ritchie.

The case was turned over to Undersheriff Donna Klawitter, who received information the next day that the victim had been taken to the Howard Young Medical Center in Woodruff. The complaint indicates Klawitter spoke to the victim at the medical center. At that time the victim further alleged that on Aug. 30, Ranta pulled the victim by the hair and threw her onto the living room floor before beginning to hit her with a “metal strip.” According to the complaint, the victim told Klawitter that Ranta also allegedly placed a garbage bag over her head and held it around her throat before removing the bag and allegedly “punching her in the face and hitting her with the metal bar at the same time.”

According to the complaint against Ritchie, the victim also told Klawitter that on Aug. 30, Ritchie allegedly hit the victim in the face and nose before stepping and kicking the victim in various places. The victim also alleged that Ritchie hit her lip with a metal part of a fan, causing a contusion, before spitting on the victim.

The complaint against Roberts alleges that on Aug. 30 Roberts hit the victim in the face and head after her housemates — including Ritchie and Ranta — told Roberts that the victim had allegedly broker Roberts’ air mattress.

In court on Wednesday, Iron County District Attorney Marty Lipske indicated additional charges could be coming in the cases.

Charges are still pending against another housemate, according to Lipske, who wasn’t in court on Wednesday.

The four will next be in court on Oct. 21 @ 9:30 a.m.