Posted: 5/31/05
Two plead not guilty in terroristic threat cases
Jack David Taylor, 22, Houston, pled not guilty on May 23 to three counts of violating an order for protection, and one count of making a terroristic threat.
Judge Terrance Walters gave Taylor a furlough to enter an in-patient treatment program at St. Peter State Hospital. That will begin on May 25.
After the furlough, Taylor will be returned to the Houston County Jail.
According to a criminal complaint, Taylor left a message on a personís answering machine on April 18 stating that he was going to hire someone to kill that personís sister. His unconditional bail is $70,000; conditional bail is $35,000.
Karin Sonneman of Rochester is his public defender.
Utke pleads not guilty
In other Third District Court news, Terry Joseph Utke, 52, New Albin, Iowa, pled not guilty on May 23 to making terroristic threats, a felony, and violation of harassment restraining order, a gross misdemeanor.
His attorney, Greg Schultz of Caledonia, requested a jury trial. No date has been set for it yet.
On May 9, Utke allegedly confronted a man who was reading an electrical meter on property which adjoins Utkeís in Crooked Creek Township. Utke called him names, took pictures of him, and said he was ìgoing to kill him,î according to the criminal complaint.
The man, who had a restraining order on Utke, told sheriffís deputy Luke Sass that he was scared and that Utke was going to kill him.
Jilek makes appearance
John Bradley ìBradî Jilek, 53, Caledonia, made his first court appearance on May 23 on two counts of theft by false representation and two counts of theft by swindle.
Judge Walters set unconditional bail at $10,000 and released Jilek on his own recognizance. His next court appearance is June 6 at 10 a.m.
Jilek, an electrician, was charged on April 19 with cutting two power lines going into his house at 16259 State Highway 76, and reattaching them with wire nuts so that the polarity was reversed, resulting in the electric meter running backwards. The situation was discovered after a routine check by Tri-County Electric employees on February 15.
Burfield requests trial
Sara Burfield of Black Hammer Township appeared in court on May 23 to respond to a petty misdemeanor citation for owning a dog that kills or pursues domestic animals.
Burfield requested a court trial, which is scheduled for June 24 at 3:30.
Two Rottweilers that Burfield owned killed 11 sheep belonging to a neighbor, Robert Finnesgard on April 21, according to a sheriffís report.
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