3rd Judge Assigned To Sawyer Sexual Assault Case Accepts DJOC On Reduced Charge

SAWYER COUNTY -- A Deferred Judgment of Conviction agreement for a reduced charge of felony child abuse has been accepted by the third Judge assigned to a Sawyer County case which originally charged the defendant with sexual assault.

DrydenWire previously reported in March 2020 that Kent (Kenneth) Joki, was facing charges of Class B Felony 1st Degree Child Sexual Assault - Sexual Contact With a Child Under Age 13 following an investigation into allegations that Joki sexually assaulted a child.

Joki was placed on a high cash bond of $25,000 when he appeared on March 9, 2020 before the Hon. John Yackel. Another hearing was held on March 11, 2020 before the Hon. John Anderson who was assigned to the case due to the high case load in Sawyer County Circuit Court. A motion to reduce Joki’s bond was granted, and it was reduced to $5,000 cash.

Online circuit court records show that on March 13, 2020, a request for substitution of Judge was filed, and the Hon. Angeline Winton was assigned to the case.

Joki’s case was scheduled for a Jury Trial in January 2021, however, at a hearing on January 6, 2021, the Court accepted Joki’s pleas of No Contest to reduced charges of Class I Felony Child Abuse-Recklessly Cause Harm and Misdemeanor Neglecting a Child (Specified Harm Did Not Occur).

The Court heard statements from both the Prosecutor and Joki’s defense counsel regarding a joint proposal to resolve the case with the reduced charges according to online circuit court records. Three Victim Impact Statements were filed confidentially with the Court, and the Court also heard a statement from one victim in the matter.

Joki was found guilty of the reduced charge of Misdemeanor Neglecting a Child (Specified Harm Did Not Occur) and the Court ordered a withheld sentence with 2 years of probation and 180 days conditional jail time. Conditions of probation will require Joki to maintain absolute sobriety and be subject to random drug testing. Joki will also be required to complete an evaluation to determine criminogenic needs, and follow any Department Of Corrections recommendations consistent with criminogenic needs.

The Court accepted a Deferred Judgment of Conviction Agreement on Joki’s reduced charge of Class I Felony Child Abuse-Recklessly Cause Harm. Details of the agreement were not listed in online circuit court records at the time of this post.