An Oneida County Circuit Court judge found Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad guilty Tuesday, April 14 of disorderly conduct, after Bangstad entered a no-contest plea to the charge stemming from a June 27, 2025, incident outside his Front Street establishment.
The April 17, 2026 issue of The Lakeland Times carried the verdict. According to the story:
The verdict came after a brief plea and sentencing hearing before Vilas County Circuit Court Judge Martha Milanowski, who accepted the plea, dismissed a related bail jumping charge as part of the agreement, and imposed a $500 fine plus court costs.
“The court will find the record contains a factual basis for accepting the plea …,” Milanowski said. “Based on that plea, I will find and adjudicate him guilty of that offense.”
The hearing, which lasted just under 30 minutes, focused heavily on the due-process safeguards of the plea, the nature of the offense, and the broader context of a long-running dispute between Bangstad and Lakeland Times publisher Gregg Walker. Walker is a member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation’s board of directors.
Under the agreement’s terms, Bangstad pleaded no contest to one count of disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor. In exchange, the state moved to dismiss a second count of misdemeanor bail jumping, as well as a related harassment citation.
“The agreement is that the defendant will enter a plea to count one, disorderly conduct,” Oneida County district attorney Jillian Pfeifer told the court. “The state will move to dismiss count two, misdemeanor bail jumping. There’s a recommendation for a $500 fine plus court costs.”
Bangstad confirmed his understanding of the agreement.
Milanowski emphasized that a no-contest plea does not admit guilt but allows the court to find the defendant guilty without requiring the state to prove the case at trial. “By pleading no contest, you’re not admitting or denying that you committed this offense,” she said. “But you’re telling the court you’re essentially conceding and that the state could prove you guilty, and you’re not going to make the state prove that you committed that.”
Much of the hearing focused on whether Bangstad understood the constitutional rights he was waiving, including the right to confront witnesses and to require the state to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
“You’re also waiving your right to a jury trial where all 12 jurors would have to agree that you’re either guilty or not guilty of the offense,” Milanowski said.
Bangstad repeatedly confirmed his understanding. The judge ultimately found the plea was entered knowingly and voluntarily.
The charges stemmed from a June 27, 2025, disturbance in which Bangstad and others at his establishment allegedly shouted profanities at Walker across the street as Walker left The Lakeland Times office. According to a police report, Bangstad engaged in “indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud, and otherwise disorderly conduct” as he and others at his establishment hurled profanities at Walker as Walker left the newspaper office for the day.
One witness said the shouting was so loud she also planned to file a complaint with police and that Bangstad was yelling “awful” things toward Walker.
