Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) — Jesse Leonard Hodgson, 42, was sentenced after a Pennington County jury found him guilty of felony third-degree assault and misdemeanor domestic assault.
The verdict followed a two-day trial on Jan. 15 and 16. Jurors found Hodgson not guilty of felony domestic assault by strangulation.
Sentence Ordered
For the felony assault conviction, the court stayed a 12-month prison sentence for five years. Hodgson must serve 90 days in jail. He received credit for three days already served.
Sixty days must be served in jail. The rest may be served on electronic home monitoring. He must pay that cost himself. He may also choose to serve the full sentence in jail.
The court granted work release and Sentence to Serve privileges. Hodgson was placed on supervised probation for five years. He must also cooperate with a probation transfer to his county of residence.
The court ordered Hodgson to have no contact with the victim. He must complete the Men’s Domestic Batterers Group. He must also complete a chemical assessment and a diagnostic assessment.
He must follow any treatment and aftercare recommendations. He must meet with mental health professionals as directed. The court also banned him from firearms, ammunition, and explosives for life.
Hodgson was also ordered to provide a DNA sample. He must pay $210 in fees and fines. No sentence was pronounced on the misdemeanor domestic assault count.
What the Complaint Said
The charges stemmed from a July 21 report of domestic assault in Pennington County. The complaint did not clearly state the exact town where the incident happened.
According to the complaint, the victim had bruising under her left eye. Her right eye was badly bloodshot. She also showed an injury to her chest.
The woman later sought medical care. The complaint did not say whether her vision was permanently affected.
The complaint said the argument started after she tried to wake Hodgson. She said he later woke up and argued with her. She wanted him to leave the home.
Prosecutors accused Hodgson of grabbing the woman by the throat. Jurors later acquitted him of that strangulation charge.
The complaint said the woman tried to get away with her legs. She said Hodgson then used his thumbs on her eyes. She said her left eye bled after that.
She told investigators her vision worsened after the assault. She later went to the emergency room for treatment.
The complaint also said Hodgson was intoxicated. A preliminary breath test showed a 0.26 blood alcohol concentration. He was later arrested at the home.
Background and Resources
The complaint said Hodgson had prior convictions in a 2008 Polk County case. Those included felony threats of violence and a misdemeanor protection order violation.
Readers can find more information through the Pennington County District Court, Minnesota Court Records Online, the Minnesota third-degree assault statute, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
