Woman who reportedly started bar fight in Geneva in 2023 sentenced to probation, stayed jail time

Published 6:17 am Thursday, October 31, 2024

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The woman who reportedly threw a drink in the face of several people at Geneva Bar & Grill in April 2023 after a song she paid for was skipped on the jukebox — leading to a fight with multiple people that ended with gunfire — was sentenced Wednesday to probation and stayed jail time.

Desiree Nadine Klemp, 29, of Owatonna, pleaded guilty in August to one count of disorderly conduct-brawling or fighting, a misdemeanor, after initially being charged with third-degree riot and two counts of fifth-degree assault tied to two different victims.

In addition to the one year of supervised probation and 90 days of stayed jail time, Freeborn County District Court Judge Christy Hormann ordered Klemp not use or possess firearms or dangerous weapons, stay away from Geneva Bar and have no contact with the victims, among others.

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Video obtained from the bar showed Klemp started the fight when she threw a large drink and cup in the face of several people standing by the bar after a song she paid for was skipped on the jukebox.

Klemp stated in her plea petition that “general melee” ensued and that she was taken to the ground by someone and reacted poorly and started swinging at that person.

The fight ultimately moved outside, where Dustin Smitty reportedly fired shots in the air in the parking lot and then fired at a vehicle leaving. He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault, one for each of the two people inside the vehicle that were shot at, and was sentenced to three years and three months in prison.