Steele City Man Rejects Plea Deal

A Steele City man facing multiple charges has rejected a plea deal from the state and is headed for trial.Trevor S. Pingel, age 39, appeared in Jefferson County Court on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. Linda Bauer was the presiding judge. Pingel was in court for two separate cases. In one case, Pingel was charged with five counts of violating a protection order, occurring on May 19, 20, 21, 24 and 25 of this year. Each charge is a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. According to the Affidavit in Support of an Arrest Warrant, the defendant allegedly made several attempts to contact the protected party via text messages. A warrant was issued on June 2 and Pingel was arrested on June 4. In the other case, Pingel is charged with assaulting an officer with bodily fluids, a class 1 misdemeanor; criminal mischief resulting in damage with a value between $1,500 and $5,000, a class 1 misdemeanor; and disturbing the peace, a class 3 misdemeanor. The criminal mischief is the result of a vehicle's damaged windscreen. There is no arrest affidavit available and no further details of the crime are available in the public court records. County Attorney Joseph Casson advised the court there was a plea agreement offered in which the defendant would plead guilty or no contest to criminal mischief and pay restitution for the damaged windscreen. All remaining charges would be dismissed. The defendant is represented by public defender Scott Gropp, who advised the court his client had rejected the plea agreement. “I'm not taking a class one misdemeanor,” Pingel told the court. “ I'll take the class three on that case and be done with this today. I'll take the disturbing peace charge. But we got to be done with this today.” Judge Bauer told the defendant, “I don't know that you're totally in control of the situation here, as much as you think you are here. We have these set for trial. And we can go ahead and try them and see what a jury thinks about your innocence or guilt, and you may be convicted of a lot more charges. So, if that's what you wish to do, then it's okay.” The county attorney did not change his offer, “My offer is, I would dismiss the assault on an officer and disturbing the peace in exchange for a No Contest plea to the criminal mischief. Would recommend probation. All I'm asking is Trevor make restitution.” Pingle said that, if they go to trial, “We're gonna have everything thrown out there in front of everybody and that's the last thing we need around here.” Gropp said, “The quandary I'm in, Your Honor, is that my client doesn't want to have a trial, and he doesn't want to accept the deal.” Judge Bauer explained, “Those are the choices, Mr. Pingel.” Pingel said, “I do not want to go to trial with it. I do not want to have to do this.” The judge said, “Well, it doesn't look like we have an agreement in this case. So we'll proceed.” Despite rejecting the plea agreement, the state has dismissed the protection order violation charges. A trial date has been set for November 30, 2023, for the remaining case. Pingel remains free on a $2,500 (10 percent) bond at this time. This is not Pingel's first run-in with the law. On March 12, 2020, he was sentenced in Jefferson County District Court to 24 months of probation. The defendant Pingel was originally charged with the manufacture or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, a class 2 felony punishable by one to 50 years in prison; possession of a deadly weapon (a knife) by a prohibited person, a class 3 felony that carries a possible penalty of four years incarceration, followed by nine months to two years post-release supervision and a $25,000 fine; possession of methamphetamine, a class 4 felony that carries two years incarceration, nine to 12 months post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine; and a charge of habitual criminal, a felony which can be used to enhance penalties. In accordance with the plea agreement, Pingel pleaded No Contest to a reduced charge of attempt of a class 3 felony, which is a class 4 felony. The remaining charges were dismissed.

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