Osage, MN (trfnews.i234.me) — Joseph Alexander Pitts, 25, of rural Osage, has been sentenced in Becker County District Court for domestic abuse–violating a no-contact order, a gross misdemeanor. A felony charge of stalking, two counts of misdemeanor domestic assault, and one count of misdemeanor domestic abuse were dismissed in an amended complaint and plea agreement.
On December 28, 2024, a Becker County Sheriff’s Office investigator conducted a welfare check on a woman who had sent a distressing message to a witness, stating, “he’s going to kill me.” Upon arrival, the woman reported that Pitts had attacked her, noting visible black and blue marks on her face and bruises on her shoulder. She stated that the facial injuries were from Pitts hitting her on December 27, and the shoulder bruises were from him throwing her against a wall on December 28.
Pitts denied the allegations and claimed he had not been drinking; however, a preliminary breath test indicated a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08.
A court-ordered no-contact order was served on Pitts on December 30 to protect the woman. Despite this, he allegedly called her from jail three times, with the first call occurring just three hours after the order was served.
Pitts has a prior conviction for felony first-degree assault against a 5-month-old child, for which he served a prison sentence.
On April 21, Becker County District Judge Gretchen Thilmony sentenced Pitts to 364 days in jail, with 284 days stayed for two years, and credited him for 80 days already served. He was fined $500, plus $160 in court fees. Conditions of his sentence include abstaining from alcohol and nonprescribed drugs, refraining from assaultive or abusive behavior toward the victim, completing cognitive skill training, complying with cognitive behavioral interventions as directed by probation, and undergoing comprehensive assessments for both chemical dependency and domestic abuse, following all recommendations, including aftercare. Pitts was placed on supervised probation for two years.
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Did you know?
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Violating a Domestic Abuse No-Contact Order (DANCO) in Minnesota can result in additional criminal charges and penalties.
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First-degree assault in Minnesota is a felony offense that can lead to significant prison time, especially when the victim is a child.
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Supervised probation often includes mandatory counseling and treatment programs aimed at preventing future offenses.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.