Judge denies discovery motion

The trial dates for supervisor candidates Jack Seward Jr. and Bob Yoder have been set. Eighth Judicial District Judge James Blomgren issued a pretrial order Wednesday which set Seward?s trial for Sept. 24 and Yoder?s for Sept. 26. Both will start at 9:30 a.m.

On Aug. 29, attorney Barb Edmondson, representing both Seward and Yoder, filed a motion to extend time for discovery and to extend the time for filing motions. Since then, a pretrial conference was held and a trial date of Sept. 24 was set for Seward. Blomgred wrote in his ruling Wednesday that the motion to extend time for discovery and filing motions was moot and he therefore overruled the motion.

Blomgren wrote that the trial dates reflect the days when the jury will be chosen. Seward?s jury will be chosen Monday morning, Sept. 24, and his trial will commence after that. Yoder?s jury will be chosen two days later and his trial will commence after that. In each case, one alternate juror will be required, who will be determined by the last juror selected who is still on the panel.

A final pretrial conference will take place Friday, Sept. 21 at 1:30 p.m. The pretrial conference will be a hearing on all pending motions, including motions in limine, which pertain to rulings about the inclusion or exclusion of evidence in the trial.

Seward and Yoder were both charged with campaign violations on July 27. Seward was charged with one count of Unlawful Receipt of a Monetary or In-Kind Campaign Contribution from a Corporation, which is in violation of Iowa Code and based on the alleged receipt of an in-kind campaign contribution from Custom Impressions on or about May 11 in the amount of $75.

Yoder was charged with Unlawful Transfer of Campaign Funds, a serious misdemeanor, based on the alleged transfer of campaign funds on or about May 24 in the amount of $1,400 to Iowa Political Action Committee Free County.