Waseca Man pleads not guilty to felony assault charges

A Waseca man who has previously been convicted of domestic assault three times pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of domestic assault last week, setting the stage for a jury trial and potentially a decade in prison should he be convicted of both counts.

The charges against Michael David Wittenberg, 37, stem from a June 12 incident in which police were dispatched to a Waseca residence to find Wittenberg and a family/household member, whom Wittenberg has previously been convicted of assault against.

According to the statement filed in District Court the following day, the household member’s lip was bleeding and she had visible head injuries. The household member attributed those injuries to an alleged assault and identified Wittenberg was the perpetrator.

In the alleged victim’s statement, she accused Wittenberg of punching her in the back of the head as she left the bathroom. She stated that the alleged assault continued after she fell and hit the floor, with Wittenberg attacking her with a close fist and right hand.

Under the relevant portion of Minnesota law, Section 609.2242, Wittenberg’s prior convictions for three domestic assault offenses in the last decade automatically upgrades the latest charges to Felonies, subject to up to five years in prison each and up to $10,000 in fines each.

Wittenberg was released from Waseca County Jail on June 13 after posting a $50,000 non-cash bond. The conditional release comes with a long list of requirements, including a Domestic No Contact Order and regular contact with an attorney and probation officer.