WILLMAR -- Donald Jeral Riggins Fields, 26, of Rochester, was sentenced Wednesday to 60 months in prison for an April domestic assault on a Willmar woman with whom he has a 5-year-old child.
Judge Donald M. Spilseth handed down a sentence which was an upward departure from the state's sentencing guidelines because of Fields' previous criminal history and the fact that the child saw the assault on his mother. The sentence included five of the seven charges for which Fields was found guilty during a July jury trial. The sentence didn't include the other two charges, domestic assault by strangulation and fifth-degree assault, because they were part of the same behavioral incident.
"The child was exposed to this act of brutality," Spilseth said. "Your child was exposed to a brutal beating of his mother by you."
The sentence included 60 months, to be served concurrently, on felony assault and terroristic threat charges, and 27 months for felony motor vehicle theft.
Fields was also sentenced to 90 days for each of two misdemeanor charges, but given credit for 126 days already served in jail. At least two-thirds of the 60-month sentence must be served in prison. He was also fined $2,600, to be paid with jail earnings.
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The charges stem from an April 8 incident in which the woman reported being assaulted by Fields after they got into an argument, which led to Fields choking her and threatening to kill her.
Spilseth denied motions by John Holbrook, Fields' public defender, for acquittal or a new trial, based on the fact that the victim, Shawntavia Bryant, recanted her story in court during the jury trial. Bryant supported Fields again during the sentencing and questioned the evidence used to convict him.
"I don't know if it's a racist issue, but he shouldn't be going to jail," she said. Both Bryant and Fields are black.
Fields told the court that he felt he was being set up by everyone in the courtroom. "I don't feel I got a fair trial from the jump," he said, adding that he should be sentenced to 36 months in jail, which would be the appropriate sentence for someone without his criminal history.
"I've got a life, "he said. "I've got kids and a family. To give me another 60 months is unreasonable."
Fields said he was just released in February from serving 51 months in prison. His criminal history includes six previous convictions on assault charges, including three that involved Bryant. Assistant County Attorney Shane Baker also pointed out that Fields had a significant juvenile record and that his crimes were more serious and more violent as an adult, including drug charges and an escape from custody.
