October 13, 2009

Becker's trial date set: Feb. 1

Gary Becker was given a Feb. 1, 2010, trial date today -- more than a year after he was arrested in an internet sex sting and forced to resign as Racine's mayor.

He will face the most serious charges -- child enticement, attempted sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography -- before Judge Stephen Simanek. A lesser charge of misconduct in public office, for asking city employees to fix his personal computer -- a request that led to everything else -- will come at a later date.

Becker appeared before Simanek Tuesday afternoon, when the judge also set a hearing on defense motions for Dec. 3. Filings and evidence submitted by Becker's attorney, Pat Cafferty, have been suppressed and are under seal. Cafferty said their release "may taint the jury pool."

At the 10-minute hearing today, Simanek also warned Becker to make arrangements to pay the $945 bill that has accrued so far for his GPS monitoring device. If that is not done, the judge said, then Becker "is going upstairs," into jail until his trial. Becker and his attorney agreed to do so, and he remains free on bond.

District Attorney Michael Nieskes assured the judge that copies of all 1,800 internet chat transtcripts -- allegedly between Becker and the Department of Criminal Investigations agent who was impersonating a 14-year-old girl -- have been turned over to the defense. While some are only a few lines in length, others go on for "page after page."

Becker was arrested on Jan. 13 and resigned as mayor on Jan. 20. Last week, his wife Julie was granted a divorce.

19 comments:

  1. Why all the delays? Justice delayed is justice denied!

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  2. Interesting what kind of deal is in the works. Everyone I have talked to believes there is a deal. After all it is Racine

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  3. Only two comments - I thought this article would light up like a scoreboard.

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  4. I think everyone is sick and tired of the life and times of Gary Becker.

    The next time we hear from him will be after he does a little time, and let me stress LITTLE, and gets hired by Dr. Julie Kinzleman after she gets her own center to study the water.

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  5. He'll have to get his PhD too - pretty simple from jail as long as he has Internet access.

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  6. Why have they let him slide on paying his GPS bill? Seems like that should have taken him off the street already.

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  7. Gary I hope you get the fair trial you deserve. Best of luck to you, and know that some of us still believe that people are innocent until proven guilty and not guilty until proven innocent! Take care of yourself.

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  8. When is Dickert's trial? Becker's guilty of trying to screw a minor. Dicker's guilty of trying to screw the taxpayer and a few other things too.

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  9. Anon 10:24 - wow you are certainly in denial aren't you.

    In most cases that is true, unless the person in question confesses. In this case, Gary confessed the chat logs were indeed his. That makes him guilty whether or not the court says so.

    Get your head out of the sand 10:24.

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  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. This entire fiasco is due to a plot by the city's IT people to destroy Mr. Becker. After placing that incriminating evidence on his computer, they convinced him to go to Brookfield Mall where he thought he was meeting up with another artist interested in moving to Uptown. When the truth comes out, Becker will be restored to the throne of Racine where the triumphant triumvirate of Becker-Dickert-Friedel will rule us for decades, bringing peace, prosperity, and lots of pubescent girls to our fair city.

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  12. Orbs - You should dimiss the whole group of them!!

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  13. Funny that the racinepost always deletes comments that apply negatively to RCEDC and particular people in that organization.

    Why are they protecting this woman so intensely? I've seen far worse blogged about others.

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  15. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  16. Dear Anon 7:52, 4:01, 5:07 -- the one of you.

    Drop the character assassination while hiding behind your own anonymity. And no, neither of us is dating the person in question. Now give it a rest.

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  17. Since when do you concern yourself with character assassination Pete? I've seen you let people do far worse.

    Does it just depend on your personal opinion of the person they are trashing?

    At least be consistent. Personally I don't think anyone should be allowed to be trashed on the blogs, but be consistent. You look like fools when you only protect certain individuals.

    And no, I'm not the poster who's posts you deleted.

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  18. Anon 10:24, I agree that anyone who has charges "alleged" against them is, indeed, considered innocent until proven guilty. But this perverted child predator was caught red handed with his hand in the cookie jar and confessed to the sleazy perverted chat and actions perpetrated against what he thought was a 14 year old child. There is no reasonable doubt as to this pedophile's guilt; it's just a matter of time and process to put him away. I wonder if you would have this same attitude if it had been your daughter he was stalking.

    Anon 12:45, Dickert's trial will be a year from April in the court of voter. I hope, as you do, that he is condemned to political death.

    Anon 10:53, do you not recognize sarcasm when you see it?

    Becker is a low-life, scum sucking piece of subhuman garbage and deserves far worse than whatever he gets. Castration should be the first step after conviction, then a good long jail sentence. Dickert and his goose-stepping cronies need to stay out of the process and let the law do its job. Frankly, I don't give a rats patoot about his misconduct by using a city employee to fix his personal computer when weighed against what his intent was to perpetrate on a 14 year old child. When he's convicted they out to just take the bastard out and hang him. But, knowing that won't happen, the aforementioned should be expected. But then again, with the courts portraying the criminals as victims and victims as those who brought it upon themselves, I wouldn't be surprised if the jerk walks.

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  19. Amen to you Racine Resident.

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