Bowler woman gets probation in multi-charge court case

A Bowler woman avoided immediate prison time after pleading no contest to eight charges, including first-degree recklessly endangering safety, operating while intoxicated as a third offense and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. Judge William Kussel Jr. imposed and stayed the prison sentence and placed Destiny M. Spruce, 45, on three years of probation with conditions.

Spruce entered the pleas on June 17 in a case that also covered fleeing an officer in her vehicle, possession of an electric weapon, battery or threat to a judge, prosecutor or law enforcement officer, criminal damage to property and possession of drug paraphernalia. The sentence stands out in the latest Shawano-Menominee Court News roundup because it resolved a long list of charges through probation rather than an immediate prison commitment.

The same roundup showed a far different result for Joshua L. Slewinski, 36, of Shawano. He pleaded no contest on Feb. 20 to exposing himself to a child and child enticement, and Kussel sentenced him on June 15 to seven and a half years in prison, followed by five years of extended supervision with conditions.

Taken together, the cases show the range of outcomes moving through the Menominee-Shawano circuit court, where probation, stayed prison terms, jail time and prison all remain active tools of accountability. Other entries in the roundup included drug-possession and bail-jumping cases, a meth-related case and a fraud against a financial institution case, reinforcing that the local docket is spread across several recurring offense types rather than one isolated category.

For Menominee County, that volume matters because the county remains small, with an estimated population of 4,286 in 2024 and 4,199 in the U.S. Census Bureau’s July 1, 2025 estimate. Wisconsin Court System materials identify circuit courts as the state’s trial courts with original jurisdiction over criminal matters, and Menominee County cases are handled through the combined Shawano-Menominee circuit court under Kussel. In a county bordered by Shawano, Oconto and Langlade counties, even a single court roundup can offer a clear read on how local enforcement and sentencing are playing out across the shared system.