Mayor’s wife enters “not guilty” plea in pepper-spray incident

A judge from outside La Crosse County will be assigned to the disorderly conduct case against Christy Kabat, the wife of La Crosse mayor Tim Kabat. 

Judge Elliott Levine recused himself from the case on Tuesday, when Mrs. Kabat made her initial appearance on the misdemeanor charge. 

The La Crosse district attorney’s office had already passed on the case, to avoid a conflict of interest, and Vernon County D-A Tim Gaskell is the special prosecutor for the case. 

Christy Kabat was charged after confronting a van driver twice, while a group of demonstrators was marching against racism near City Hall on May 30th. 

The driver admitted to using pepper spray on the mayor’s wife during the incident. 

Mrs. Kabat entered a “not guilty” plea in court on Tuesday, and was given a signature bond.

The maximum penalties she could face if convicted of disorderly conduct include jail time and a $1000 fine.