Minn. woman gets 6 mos. for biting off woman's ear

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - A northern Minnesota woman who pleaded guilty to biting off another woman's ear at a New Year's Day party has been sentenced to six months in a community corrections facility.

As part of a plea agreement, 25-year-old Joelyn Rose Hart of Red Lake acknowledged that she intentionally bit off the woman's ear and also bit her nose. The victim underwent three reconstructive surgeries to re-attach her ear.

The assault happened during on Jan. 1, 2009 during a party on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

Hart faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the charge of maiming.

A message left with her federal defender Saturday was not immediately returned.

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