Four more HHS vandals sentenced

Four more Hudson High School graduates recently pleaded guilty to vandalizing their own school as well as New Richmond High School last June.

They were among 14 former HHS students who were charged in the case. Nine of the students have already been convicted and sentenced. Joining them are:

Nathan T. Kovatch, 18, 345 Cove Road, Nicholas P. Filipiak, 19, 416 Brookwood Dr., Peter J. Maki, 19, 520 Joseph Circle and Michael J. Zuehl, 18, 518 10th St. N.

Just like their co-defendants, all four were sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to complete 70 hours of community service. They were also fined $98 and have each paid approximately $3,000 in restitution.

St. Croix County Judge Scott Needham also ordered the defendants to write an open letter of apology to the communities of Hudson, River Falls and New Richmond to be published in their local newspapers and to each make an in person apology before the school boards of Hudson, River Falls and New Richmond.

The defendants were also ordered to pay court costs and the cost of their supervision during probation. They were also ordered to have no contact with the Hudson and River Falls school districts.

The only remaining defendant is Colin Courtney who is attending college in Colorado. He is expected to plead guilty and receive the same sentence upon his return to the Hudson area in May.

The defendants were originally charged with felony criminal damage to property for damages at both schools that amounted to more than $40,000. The special prosecutor in the case, Eau Claire County District Attorney Rich White, reduced the charges to misdemeanors. The vandalism was part of a "senior prank" and involved less serious damage to North and Memorial high schools in Eau Claire and at Menomonie High School. The vandals tried to implicate students from River Falls High School as part of the prank.

Tags: news, hudson, vandals, highschoolvandals