Thief River Falls: Warrant Issued in Felony DANCO Case

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — Joseph Richard Norton, 30, of Cass Lake, faces a felony charge in Pennington County District Court.

Norton is charged with violating a Domestic Abuse No Contact Order, commonly called a DANCO.

The complaint alleges the offense involved two qualifying prior convictions.

A warrant was issued for Norton’s arrest, according to the court complaint.

Investigation Began After Report From Beltrami County

The investigation began on September 18, according to the complaint.

A Thief River Falls investigator received information from a Beltrami County sheriff’s investigator.

The information involved a possible DANCO violation in Thief River Falls.

The protected woman allegedly told investigators that Norton picked her up from her father’s home.

The complaint states Norton was prohibited from being at that residence.

The woman reportedly said Norton gathered her belongings before the two left the area.

They later allegedly stayed together at a residence in Bena.

Investigators also reported that Norton faced separate DANCO allegations in Beltrami and Cass counties.

The criminal complaint also lists several prior cases involving Norton.

It states he was sentenced in 2016 for felony domestic assault by strangulation.

The complaint also lists a 2022 misdemeanor domestic assault case.

A separate 2022 case involved second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

The complaint did not state whether the protected woman in the current case was involved in those prior matters.

Minnesota law makes it a crime to knowingly violate a domestic abuse no contact order.

A DANCO violation can become a felony when qualifying prior offenses are present.

Under current state law, a felony DANCO violation can carry up to five years in prison.

A fine of up to $10,000 may also apply after a conviction.

Readers can review Minnesota Statute 629.75 through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.

The allegations in a criminal complaint are not proof of guilt.

Norton is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Public case information may be available through Minnesota Court Records Online.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.