Traci Herring, 23, of Crystal City has been sentenced to 87 days in jail after pleading guilty to three misdemeanor charges. He was arrested in May outside the Leader Publications building, 503 N. Second St., in Festus following an incident that started with a domestic dispute in the street and continued after the alleged victim sought safety inside the newspaper office.
Jefferson County Div. 10 Associate Circuit Judge Jeffrey Coleman on Sept. 12 sentenced Herring to 87 days each for third-degree kidnapping, fourth-degree assault and resisting arrest. Herring received credit for spending 57 days in jail and had 30 days remaining on his jail sentence, court records show.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Nicole Riffe prosecuted the case.
Festus Police Chief Doug Wendel said his department received a call at 3:35 p.m. May 20 about the incident.
“He had been fighting with his ex-girlfriend, refusing to let her leave his company,” Wendel said.
Prior to making their way toward the Leader office, Herring tried to keep the victim from leaving him near where she worked. He bent the woman over a metal handrail, and at one point, he lifted her off the ground, the case’s probable-cause statement said.
The victim eventually made her way to the Leader office and was allowed inside.
“(Herring) tried to force his way in. He struck a Leader employee,” Wendel said.
“Mr. Herring attempted to enter the business, but was prevented (by Leader employees, including one he struck),” according to the probable-cause statement in the case. “Mr. Herring assaulted (the Leader employee) by shoving her and striking her on the right side of her face with a closed fist. Once confronted by Festus Police officers, Mr. Herring refused to comply with commands and physically resisted by twisting his body and flailing his arms. Mr. Herring attempted to escape the clasp of officers and walk away.”
Herring was on probation at the time of the incident. He had pleaded guilty on May 14 to felony possession of a controlled substance and driving with a revoked license, a misdemeanor offense, according to court records.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison for the felony drug charge and ordered to pay a $250 fine for the misdemeanor charge. The prison sentence was suspended, and he was placed on five years’ probation, court documents said.
Herring’s probation was suspended on Sept. 9, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 15 for a probation violation hearing, court records show.
Also prior to his arrest outside of the Leader office, Herring on May 8 was charged in the Herculaneum Municipal Court with domestic assault, and on May 14, he was charged in the Festus Municipal Court for stealing.
He is scheduled to appear in Herculaneum Municipal Court on Oct. 2, and he received an eight-day jail sentence on July 22 for the stealing charge, according to court documents.