Posted: 11/16/04
Rushford man pleads not guilty to property damage; gun theft trials scheduled
Christopher Berge, 19, has requested a jury trial for offenses which center on an October 22 driving incident in Caledonia.
The Rushford man pled not guilty to five different criminal charges from the incident in district court on November 1.
Berge was arrested on October 22 after his vehicle became stuck at the city baseball fields in Caledonia.
The vehicle had twice struck a fence that goes around the ball field, and the air bags had been activated.
Berge was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of alcohol, driving after revocation, and two counts of third degree driving under the influence.
His November 1 court appearance also included violation of probation on other files. No date for a jury trial had been set as of November 12.
Timothy Murphy, the Caledonia city attorney who will prosecute the case for the city, also anticipates a felony charge for damage to property, according to court documents.
Flag vandalism charges
In other court news, a 15-year-old Caledonia male was charged on October 28 with four misdemeanors involving the theft of two American flags and the defacing of one.
The juvenile is charged with prohibited acts against a flag; theft of two flags, and criminal damage to property for the first flag that was stolen.
His next court appearance is November 16 in juvenile delinquent court in Caledonia.
The first American flag was stolen from the flag pole by the community center in Brownsville on July 12, then defaced and returned a week later at the same time that a new flag was stolen.
The first stolen flag was returned with three burned holes. Many things written on it, such as a swastika, ìwhite power,î a peace symbol, and ìGod is Dead.î
Gun theft trials set
Trials have been set for three Caledonia juveniles who were charged with second and third degree burglary and theft of firearms.
Two boys, ages 15 and 13, will be tried in juvenile delinquent court on November 22 and December 1. The trial of a girl, age 15, started on November 15.
The juveniles were arrested in Goodhue County on October 1 after a high-speed chase on Highway 52. They had driven off from a gas station in La Crescent without paying, and were stopped by a Zumbrota police officer.
A check of the vehicle identified it as one that had been stolen from a residence in Caledonia.
In the car were two shotguns, one rifle, one .357 magnum pistol, and one air gun, all allegedly stolen.
The youths were each charged in Houston County with burglary in the second degree, a felony; burglary in the third degree, a felony; and four separate theft of a firearm charges, each of which is a felony.
Each youth was also charged with one count of misdemeanor theft for the theft of a gun case.
In Goodhue County, they all face the charge of receiving stolen property, and multiple charges related to the gun thefts. The driver faces the charge of fleeing a police officer.
In a separate petition, the driver is charged with car theft in Goodhue County. This is an entirely different case that has not yet been set for trial, assistant Houston County Attorney Suzanne Harnack said on November 12.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
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Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com