A Cloquet man accused of manslaughter resulting from a fight pleaded guilty Friday in Sixth District Court in Carlton.

Joel Jay Ammesmaki, 59, was charged with first-degree manslaughter in September 2021 for “causing the death of another while committing assault in the fifth degree with such force and violence” that death or great harm was “reasonably foreseeable.” It was not alleged that he intended to murder his victim, just that he punched him so hard that death was a possible outcome.

Under the terms of a plea agreement last week, the charge was dropped to second-degree manslaug...