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Pair involved in brawl at Medford cage fight will do community service Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 8, 2015 at 12:54 PM Updated Oct 8, 2015 at 3:56 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 8, 2015 at 12:54 PM Updated Oct 8, 2015 at 3:56 PM » Social News A Cave Junction couple were sentenced to community service and probation for their involvement in a Medford brawl that followed a cage fighting event last year. Jacob Jonathan Patrick Miller, 25, will serve 80 hours of community service and 11 months' probation after he pleaded to misdemeanor charges of riot and resisting arrest Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court. Christina Frances Ricci, 22, pleaded to a misdemeanor charge of riot and will serve 40 hours of community service and 11 months' probation. Miller and Ricci originally faced felony charges in the Sept. 6, 2014, incident, which reportedly involved more than 50 people and ended in seven arrests after "Return of the Warriors," a mixed martial arts cage fighting event held at Harry and David field. The charges were reduced in a plea agreement. Miller's attorney, Jeni Feinberg, and Ricci's attorney, Carl Caplan, each referred to their clients' plea as an "Alford plea," meaning they proclaim their innocence while acknowledging that the prosecution has enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. "It was total chaos — I still think this is the right thing to do," Feinberg said of the plea. Jackson County Circuit Judge Timothy Barnack expressed concern during Miller's hearing that by entering a guilty verdict as an Alford plea, he was allowing grounds for an appeal. "It's not an appeal case, your honor," Feinberg said. "We're not sure someone with no criminal history should go to trial on felony charges," Feinberg said. According to Feinberg, Miller was headed to the car after the event when he was grabbed and thrown into the brawl. Feinberg said Miller was unaware he was fighting an officer in the heat of the moment. Jackson County Deputy District Attorney Nick Geil said prosecution had video footage of Miller more involved in the fight than Feinberg claimed, but with the guilty pleas the point was irrelevant. After Ricci gave her plea, Caplan noted that his client hadn't consumed drugs or alcohol that evening, and that she is currently on track to become a nurse. "She jumped in to get people off her boyfriend," Caplan said. Another person arrested in the brawl, John Robert Bowling, 32, has a trial date of Dec. 1 on a felony charge of riot and misdemeanor charges of fourth-degree assault, resisting arrest and second-degree disorderly conduct. Others arrested included Daniel Lee Bowling, whose charges of riot and disorderly conduct were dismissed on Aug. 17; Derek Scot Mendez, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of interfering with a police officer on May 19; and Matthew Chalon Miller, whose charges were dismissed in April after his death. Reach newsroom assistant Nick Morgan at [email protected]. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 8, 2015 at 12:54 PM Updated Oct 8, 2015 at 3:56 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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