DV assault charge for Tri-Cities restaurant owner to be dropped. But there are conditions
A domestic violence charge against a former Kennewick restaurant owner was bumped down to a lower court under an agreement that could eventually lead to the case being dismissed.
Joel T. Watson, the former owner of Just Joel’s cafe, and Franklin County prosecutors agreed to move the case from Superior Court to District Court.
The change means Watson’s second-degree assault charge will be dropped if he meets certain conditions over the next two years.
He must avoid any alcohol or nonprescription drugs, obey no-contact orders, continue with alcohol treatment and attend an eight-hour anger management course.
He also is required to pay $960 for court monitoring and possibly additional restitution.
The Kennewick native has not been shy about his troubled past, which he said he turned around when he was 30. His last felony conviction was in 2009 for drug possession, and he has previous convictions for theft in 2004 and first-degree robbery and drug possession in 2001.
Watson rose to prominence in the Tri-Cities when he opened his Just Joel’s diner on Kennewick Avenue in 2017. His dream of cooking led him to renovate and open the small restaurant.
The public voted the breakfast and lunch spot as having the best Sunday brunch in the Tri-City Herald’s People’s Choice awards.
He also was well known for his generous donations and help to others in the community.
Legal problems
Watson was charged with second-degree assault in June 2022 nearly six months after his then girlfriend told Pasco officers that he injured her.
She and Watson were heading home from an evening out when an argument started. She claimed Watson started hitting her while they were driving on Interstate 182 near 20th Avenue. He eventually took her home to Kennewick.
She didn’t initially call police. Instead, an anonymous caller told emergency dispatchers that she was hurt and asked that an officer check on her.
She was brought to a local hospital where a Pasco officer interviewed her. She had swelling and bruising to her face and left eye, according to court documents. Medical records show she suffered a broken bone in her nose.
Watson shut down the restaurant’s original location in December 2022. In announcing the closure, Watson posted a short video saying the last few months had been a struggle.
He has since started a new effort to sell food through Just Joel’s 2.0.
He doesn’t appear to have a set location, but he has been preparing and selling food at the Kennewick downtown commercial kitchen, Red Mountain Kitchen.
