MADISON - The former Monroe High School athletic director charged with embezzling money from sporting event ticket sales appeared Friday in a Madison courtroom before a newly assigned judge in the case.
Dave B. Hirsbrunner, 49, now living in Waunakee, is charged in Green County Circuit Court with four Class I felonies related to the embezzlement.
Because both Green County judges know Hirsbrunner personally, and due to other conflicts of interest, the case has been fully outsourced. It was assigned to a Rock County judge, but he retired this week.
The case is now assigned to Dane County Judge Ellen Berz, with Iowa County District Attorney Larry Nelson continuing to serve as special prosecutor. A detective with the Stoughton Police Department investigated the case.
The criminal complaint, filed in June, alleges Hirsbrunner stole $2,950 from the Monroe school district between Dec. 1, 2014, and Oct. 15, 2015. It also alleges that, in his capacity as a public employee, he falsified entries into the reports of gate receipts for Monroe High School athletic events on Aug. 28, Sept. 4 and Sept. 18, 2015.
Friday's arraignment hearing lasted only a minute or two and reaffirmed Hirsbrunner's pleas of not guilty, entered on his behalf after he stood mute on the charges in January.
Hirsbrunner is next in court for a status conference on May 7.
In early January at the last hearing in the case, Hirsbrunner's attorney requested extra time to review "thousands of pages of discovery." On Friday, Jonas Bednarek, of Hurley, Burish & Stanton S.C. in Madison, told the judge he and Nelson had been speaking by phone, adding "By early May, you're going to know what you need from us."
Dave B. Hirsbrunner, 49, now living in Waunakee, is charged in Green County Circuit Court with four Class I felonies related to the embezzlement.
Because both Green County judges know Hirsbrunner personally, and due to other conflicts of interest, the case has been fully outsourced. It was assigned to a Rock County judge, but he retired this week.
The case is now assigned to Dane County Judge Ellen Berz, with Iowa County District Attorney Larry Nelson continuing to serve as special prosecutor. A detective with the Stoughton Police Department investigated the case.
The criminal complaint, filed in June, alleges Hirsbrunner stole $2,950 from the Monroe school district between Dec. 1, 2014, and Oct. 15, 2015. It also alleges that, in his capacity as a public employee, he falsified entries into the reports of gate receipts for Monroe High School athletic events on Aug. 28, Sept. 4 and Sept. 18, 2015.
Friday's arraignment hearing lasted only a minute or two and reaffirmed Hirsbrunner's pleas of not guilty, entered on his behalf after he stood mute on the charges in January.
Hirsbrunner is next in court for a status conference on May 7.
In early January at the last hearing in the case, Hirsbrunner's attorney requested extra time to review "thousands of pages of discovery." On Friday, Jonas Bednarek, of Hurley, Burish & Stanton S.C. in Madison, told the judge he and Nelson had been speaking by phone, adding "By early May, you're going to know what you need from us."