Authorities dropped the most serious charges facing a St. Paul woman who was accused of relentlessly harassing her neighbor.
After reaching a plea deal with the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office, Roberta Madison, 64, pleaded guilty to one count of violating a harassment restraining order.
Madison was sentenced on the misdemeanor count in July to one year of probation and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation as well as comply with its recommendations, according to Ramsey County Court records.
The prosecution dropped the six more serious charges facing Madison at that time, including two counts of gross-misdemeanor level stalking, indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.
The case was overcharged from the outset, according to Madison’s defense attorney, Bruce Rivers.
“Basically she was on her porch and she was talking loud enough for the neighbor to hear,” Rivers said, adding that the rest of the allegations initially lodged against his client were “ridiculous.”
The incident stemmed from an ongoing dispute authorities said took place between Madison and her neighbor between August of 2017 and February of the following year.
Madison was initially accused of throwing things into her neighbor’s yard as well as yelling racial slurs at the women’s visitors.