Mass "Happy New Year" text lands Minnesota woman in jail

By: Casey Glynn
Topics: Daily Blotter

Jennifer Bartsch

(Credit: WCCO)

(CBS/WCCO) WINONA, Minn. - A simple "Happy New Year" greeting landed a Minnesota woman behind bars after she sent a mass text that happened to include her ex-boyfriend who had a restraining order against her.

"Due to that Happy New Year text it wasn't so happy after all," said Jennifer Bartsch, 39, who claims she sent out the text to everyone in her phone, CBS Minnesota reports.

According to the station, all of Bartsch's contact list of 50 people, received the "Happy New Year" text from her on New Year's Eve.

"The next day I received a pounding at my door saying I was being arrested for violation of an order," Bartsch reportedly said.

Bartsch says she and her ex-boyfriend owned a house together, but broke up last April. She says they argued over the property repeatedly, and he got a restraining order, CBS Minnesota reports. Unfortunately for Bartsch, the mass holiday text that included her ex's number was a violation of that order.

After spending two days in jail, Bartsch was reportedly released Tuesday afternoon, and says she's since deleted her ex-boyfriend's number from her phone, reports CBS Minnesota. She claims she didn't know it was still in her phone and calls it a simple mistake, saying she hopes a judge sees it the same way.

"I work full-time, have children and I abide by the law. I can't believe this is happening over one text. I felt I had kept my end of the bargain and hadn't talked to him in months. Now this happens on New Year's," said Bartsch.

Bartsch's next court appearance is Jan. 12. She could face a fine or more jail time.

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