ROCHESTER, Minn. – A jury has reached a split decision in a downtown bar assault.
James Lee Halverson, 38 of Rochester, has been found not guilty of 1st degree assault but guilty of 2nd and 3rd degree assault. Rochester police say Halverson attacked someone at Dooley’s Pub on May 8, 2019.
Court documents say security video shows a physical confrontation between Halverson and his victim which was broken up by bar staff. Investigators say as the victim walked back to the bar, Halverson picked up a glass and smashed it into the victim’s right hand and face. Police say the victim suffered a deep cut to the left cheek that required surgery.
No sentencing date for Halverson has been set.
He has also pleaded not guilty to 4th degree assault, fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, and DWI for an incident on April 30, 2020. Authorities say he drove away from an attempted traffic stop, crashed into a dirt pile, then had to be tackled by police. Halverson allegedly spit on one of the officers while yelling “corona!”
No trial date for those charges has been set.
