By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Forbes gets three years probation
Placeholder Image

A Platteville man arrested after a hostage incident Oct. 1 was sentenced to three years probation in Grant County Circuit Court April 11.

Douglas J. Forbes, 23, Platteville, pleaded no contest to six counts of felony bail jumping and one count each of disorderly conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia, and intimidating a witness, all as a repeat offender.

Four additional counts of felony bail jumping and charges of strangulation and suffocation and misdemeanor battery, all as a repeat offender, were dismissed.

According to court records, Grant County Circuit Judge Robert VanDeHey accepted the plea agreement “based on [the] alleged victim’s uncooperativeness and recantation of prior statements.”

Platteville police received a report Oct. 1 of a domestic violence incident around 9 a.m., in which the victim reported being kicked and strangled Thursday morning and on two previous occasions. The victim told police that Forbes had the victim’s 8-month-old son with him, and police didn’t believe the child was in immediate danger. But after the victim called Forbes later to arrange for an earlier exchange time, police said Forbes threatened to harm himself and the boy if the victim didn’t meet or contact him.

The Grant County Crisis Resolution Team entered the house around 2:45 p.m., and police arrested Forbes, who was hiding in some cabinets in the house.

After Forbes was arrested, according to the criminal complaint, Forbes called an unnamed woman asking her to call Forbes’ probation officer and the district attorney and tell them that she had lied, and that “it will all go away and that they don’t have evidence if we tell them we only had a verbal argument.” Forbes was alleged to have told the woman that “she’s scared and that it’s a lie and that it didn’t happen and tells her if charges are dropped he can get help.”

Forbes faces unrelated charges in Lafayette County for receiving or concealing stolen property, felony possession with intent to sell marijuana, operating after revocation, and felony bail jumping. A court hearing is scheduled for May 3.

Forbes was placed on three years probation in Grant County in January 2012 after he pleaded guilty to three counts of manufacture or delivery of up to 200 grams of marijuana, a felony. Forbes’ probation was revoked in May 2014 and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 18 months extended supervision. The prison sentence was reduced by 486 days credit for time served.