Trial of former candidate pushed back to February

Trial of former candidate pushed back to February

Lindaman sought more time to ‘educate’ court on state code

The jury trial of Douglas Lindaman was pushed into February at his request.

Floyd County District Court Judge Christopher Foy on Monday ordered that the trial be continued until 9 a.m. Feb. 23, with a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. Feb. 8.

The Floyd County Attorney’s Office wasn’t comfortable with a 90-day continuance requested, but did not oppose a continuance.

Lindaman, who unsuccessfully ran for Charles City School Board this fall, is charged with thirddegree sexual abuse. He is accused of touching the genitals of a 17-year-old boy in 2011.

Lindaman filed his motion seeking the continuance on Monday. He said depositions for his case have been set for Dec. 30. His jury trial was scheduled for Jan. 12.

Lindaman wrote: “The depositions need to be

Lindaman concluded to ascertain 1) any written notes from unrecorded and recorded witness interviews; 2) other witnesses interviewed by D.C.I or related law enforcement agents which the state has failed to provide; and 3) to frame issues in a Section 709.4 of the Iowa Code.”

To have a violation of that section, Linderman said “There must be sexual contact as opposed to any contact.”

He plans to file a “series of motions to bring the Court up to speed” on constitutional and legal issues surrounding Section 709.4, he wrote.

“The defendant estimates that it will take 90 days to educate the State and the Court,” he wrote. “The Court should recognize that it took nearly 20 years for legal officials to recognize that gay citizens have constitutional rights under the Iowa and Federal Constitutions which I have articulated since the mid-1990’s.”

By Chris Baldus cbaldus@charlescitypress.com