EAU CLAIRE — An Eau Claire man waived his preliminary hearing Monday in multiple cases which could see him serve time for a charges that once appeared settled.
Joshua Long, 35, was charged in September 2021 after authorities received multiple reports of gunshots and a domestic dispute. When police arrived, the criminal complaint said offers could see a woman in the residence defending herself as objects were thrown at her.
Officers saw Long enter the room, throw the woman down and begin kicking her. They kicked in the door to gain entry, and Long ran. He was charged with second degree recklessly endangering safety, intimidation of a victim, and several misdemeanors.
The woman had called 911 after she said Long struck her. Neighbors called after hearing the gunshots and told officers they feared she had been killed.
Long reached an agreement with prosecutors that saw the felony charges dismissed so he could plead guilty to the misdemeanors. The court didn’t immediately accept the plea as part of an arrangement called a deferred acceptance of a guilty plea.
Under the terms of such an agreement, a defendant has the chance to have counts reduced or dismissed if they complete what amounts to a probationary period without violating the court’s terms or committing new offenses.
Long didn’t complete those terms. A disorderly conduct charge in July 2022 didn’t trigger a prosecutorial request to have him sentenced. April 2023 incidents that resulted in theft charges and an August charge of resisting a police officer did.
Long now faces five open cases in addition to the 2021 case. Felony charges in those cases range from disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse enhancement to new theft charges
Monday’s status conference, which Long attended by video, was the first since a March hearing that informed the court a settlement conference was scheduled for mid-April. Notes on the state’s court database do not mention that hearing or any negotiations on a plea.
Instead, Long waived a preliminary hearing in the cases, which will now be scheduled for further proceedings.