Green County Circuit Court
Felonies
• Kevin Donald Beckwith, 40, Albany, pleaded guilty March 13 to a Class G felony charge of intimidating a victim with use of or attempted violence and two counts of felony bail jumping. He pleaded no contest to resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors. Seven additional counts of felony bail jumping were dismissed but "read in," meaning the judge could consider them at sentencing. He was sentenced to three years on probation, with conditions that he maintain absolute sobriety and complete all recommended treatment, including counseling for domestic abuse. The charges are from multiple cases filed against Beckwith within the past year, all related to domestic disturbances, according to court records. In most cases, Beckwith was intoxicated. On April 30, Beckwith violently grabbed and pushed a woman in his home when she tried to call 911 to report him for being verbally abusive. On Oct. 15, the same woman reported that Beckwith "drove home drunk" from a bar in Oregon and then berated and threatened her when she confronted him about it. When police arrived, he called officers obscenities. On Nov. 18, police were again called to the home for a report that he was contacting the woman in violation of a court order. On Feb. 19, she reported him again for contacting her repeatedly after going out drinking in Monroe. Police found him at home, but he ran into a nearby wooded area when he saw them. He was eventually apprehended and jailed. In a victim input statement to the court, the woman wrote that Beckwith has violated his bond and probation conditions multiple times in the past "and does not seem to have any regard for the law."
• Peter Jeremiah Knutson, 39, Woodstock, Illinois, was charged March 12 with a Class H felony charge of battery or threat to judge, prosecutor or law enforcement officer and misdemeanor charges of lewd, lascivious behavior (exposure), resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of disorderly conduct. The case stems from a call for police to the Super 8 Motel, 500 6th St., Monroe, on March 11. Court records indicate Knutson was naked in the pool and hot tub area and caused a disturbance and resisted arrest when officers questioned him about a report that he was trying to defraud the innkeeper. Police noted that they'd had eight other contacts with Knutson in the previous 24 hours. A family member told police he had stopped taking necessary medications. An officer wiped pepper spray across the bridge of Knutson's eye and nose area to get him to comply. He was eventually sedated at an ER but only after making "continuous threats towards citizens, officers and ER staff." He has a preliminary hearing March 28.
Misdemeanors
• Patrick James Ryan, 52, Albany, pleaded no contest March 12 to a Class B misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and entered a one-year deferred prosecution with conditions that he seek counseling for alcohol abuse and attend quarterly monitoring conferences. The conviction will be fully dismissed if he complies with the agreement. A misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing an officer was dismissed as part of the agreement. The case stems from an arrest Oct. 21 in Albany. A police officer responded to a report of a man down, possibly intoxicated, at the intersection of East Main Street and North East Street, according to reports filed with the criminal complaint. A caller told police the man had walked into a power pole, fallen over and wasn't moving. The officer arrived to find Ryan on the ground with his pants around his ankles. The officer offered to drive Ryan home but he refused. Ryan started walking but fell again, and the officer called an ambulance and told Ryan to wait. Ryan became uncooperative and "sprinted southbound" on North 5th Avenue. The officer ran after him and in the process of tackling him, "both Patrick and I went to the ground and landed on the pavement. I suffered a scraped knee which drew blood and my uniform pants were ripped," the officer wrote in a report. The fall caused Ryan to hit his head on the pavement and start bleeding. Ryan turned "very aggressive" and made threats to police and medics at the scene. His pants fell down again and he tripped and fell a third time. Once in the squad car, he started bashing his head against a window so forcefully that police transferred him into the ambulance, belted him to a cot and took him to an ER.
Felonies
• Kevin Donald Beckwith, 40, Albany, pleaded guilty March 13 to a Class G felony charge of intimidating a victim with use of or attempted violence and two counts of felony bail jumping. He pleaded no contest to resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors. Seven additional counts of felony bail jumping were dismissed but "read in," meaning the judge could consider them at sentencing. He was sentenced to three years on probation, with conditions that he maintain absolute sobriety and complete all recommended treatment, including counseling for domestic abuse. The charges are from multiple cases filed against Beckwith within the past year, all related to domestic disturbances, according to court records. In most cases, Beckwith was intoxicated. On April 30, Beckwith violently grabbed and pushed a woman in his home when she tried to call 911 to report him for being verbally abusive. On Oct. 15, the same woman reported that Beckwith "drove home drunk" from a bar in Oregon and then berated and threatened her when she confronted him about it. When police arrived, he called officers obscenities. On Nov. 18, police were again called to the home for a report that he was contacting the woman in violation of a court order. On Feb. 19, she reported him again for contacting her repeatedly after going out drinking in Monroe. Police found him at home, but he ran into a nearby wooded area when he saw them. He was eventually apprehended and jailed. In a victim input statement to the court, the woman wrote that Beckwith has violated his bond and probation conditions multiple times in the past "and does not seem to have any regard for the law."
• Peter Jeremiah Knutson, 39, Woodstock, Illinois, was charged March 12 with a Class H felony charge of battery or threat to judge, prosecutor or law enforcement officer and misdemeanor charges of lewd, lascivious behavior (exposure), resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of disorderly conduct. The case stems from a call for police to the Super 8 Motel, 500 6th St., Monroe, on March 11. Court records indicate Knutson was naked in the pool and hot tub area and caused a disturbance and resisted arrest when officers questioned him about a report that he was trying to defraud the innkeeper. Police noted that they'd had eight other contacts with Knutson in the previous 24 hours. A family member told police he had stopped taking necessary medications. An officer wiped pepper spray across the bridge of Knutson's eye and nose area to get him to comply. He was eventually sedated at an ER but only after making "continuous threats towards citizens, officers and ER staff." He has a preliminary hearing March 28.
Misdemeanors
• Patrick James Ryan, 52, Albany, pleaded no contest March 12 to a Class B misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and entered a one-year deferred prosecution with conditions that he seek counseling for alcohol abuse and attend quarterly monitoring conferences. The conviction will be fully dismissed if he complies with the agreement. A misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing an officer was dismissed as part of the agreement. The case stems from an arrest Oct. 21 in Albany. A police officer responded to a report of a man down, possibly intoxicated, at the intersection of East Main Street and North East Street, according to reports filed with the criminal complaint. A caller told police the man had walked into a power pole, fallen over and wasn't moving. The officer arrived to find Ryan on the ground with his pants around his ankles. The officer offered to drive Ryan home but he refused. Ryan started walking but fell again, and the officer called an ambulance and told Ryan to wait. Ryan became uncooperative and "sprinted southbound" on North 5th Avenue. The officer ran after him and in the process of tackling him, "both Patrick and I went to the ground and landed on the pavement. I suffered a scraped knee which drew blood and my uniform pants were ripped," the officer wrote in a report. The fall caused Ryan to hit his head on the pavement and start bleeding. Ryan turned "very aggressive" and made threats to police and medics at the scene. His pants fell down again and he tripped and fell a third time. Once in the squad car, he started bashing his head against a window so forcefully that police transferred him into the ambulance, belted him to a cot and took him to an ER.