UPDATE: New charges leveled against Retzlaff

New charges were filed against Ann Retzlaff, the owner of Annie’s Campground and a self-proclaimed “sovereign being of light,” April 22 in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court.

Retzlaff is facing felony and misdemeanor counts of bail jumping for not appearing in court back in November 2021, and she’s also facing two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct during her arrest in Wittenberg on body-only warrants and her subsequent processing in the Shawano County Jail.

This is on top of the original charges stemming from a police chase through two counties back in May 2021, which include fleeing and eluding officers and two counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, as well as a misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing an officer. She also faces misdemeanor charges through Menominee County for resisting and failing to stop.

Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Mark Moran, who took over the case after Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge William Kussel Jr. recused himself, agreed to the defense motion of a $1,000 signature bond, noting that Retzlaff is facing a high bond from her original charges, $25,000 for the Shawano County charges and $1,000 for the Menominee County charge. District Attorney Greg Parker had asked for a $750 cash bond for the new charges.

Parker said the disorderly charges are a result from her alleged lack of cooperation with deputies who arrived at the Harvest restaurant in Wittenberg to arrest her on the body-only warrants.

“While they were taking the defendant into custody in the restaurant proper, she became loud, boisterous and used profanity,” Parker said. “She continued to do that until they got her out to the squad, and was uncooperative getting into the squad.”

Once deputies got her to the jail, Retzlaff continued to be “terse” and uncooperative, according to Parker. He noted it took four or five officers at the jail to get her into a holding cell.

“One of them can be heard (on the body camera) saying ‘Stop resisting,’” Parker said. “She was making a lot of remarks.”

Although the bond Parker requested was not granted, Moran agreed to the terms of Retzlaff not being allowed on the premises of the Harvest restaurant and not being allowed to leave the state, since one of the bail jumping charges is a felony.

“The court knows her history of non-appearance,” Parker said.

Public defender Elizabeth Stockbridge represented Retzlaff at the April 22 hearing, noting it was only for that hearing, as Retzlaff does not qualify for a public defender. Stockbridge, who arrived late to the hearing, said that Retzlaff is “contesting in full” the new and original charges.

Stockbridge requested the signature bond, noting that the charges don’t involve significant violence. The attorney also pointed out her family ties in the community and the fact that her business is about to open for a new season.

“Ms. Retzlaff has lived in the area for the last 12 years,” Stockbridge said. “She has family in the area. Her three children reside only three miles away from her.”

Stockbridge also noted Retzlaff’s service in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 2004.

“She was deployed. She has an honorable discharge,” she said. “She has significant reasons to remain in the community.”

Stockbridge claimed Retzlaff is the only one able to get the campground up and running and that she hasn’t been able to do “basic stuff” to get additional staff to run the business.

Stockbridge alleged that Retzlaff has not been allowed by jail staff to contact her actual attorney regarding the case.

“She said the underlying charges relate to concerns she has in the community regarding child and other human sex trafficking,” Stockbridge said.

Stockbridge said that Retzlaff wanted to address the bond amounts from her 2021 case, but Moran noted that he could not address them that day because, according to Marsy’s Law, notice has to be given to victims about a hearing. The April 22 hearing was only regarding the disorderly conduct and bail jumping charges.

Prior to Stockbridge’s arrival, Retzlaff objected to her name being all capital letters on the court documents, claiming that was her “vessel.”

“I am a live being,” Retzlaff said, holding up the documents. “I am a sovereign being of light. This is not me.”

The new and original charges are scheduled to be heard at 1:45 p.m. May 2.

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com