A Minnesota man who got physical with a prosecutor in federal court in Davenport in 2011 has been given probation and a fine. Court information says 51-year-old Timothy Demuth of Plymouth, Minnesota bumped shoulders with and stepped in the way of the Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Iowa following the sentencing of his son on February 14, 2011.
Demuth testified that he had not intentionally made contact with the attorney, but prosecutors said Demuth intentionally bumped and squared off with the attorney in an attempt to intimidate him and interfere with his ability to leave the courtroom. The judge didn’t believe Demuth’s story and sentenced him to one year probation, 200 hours of community service and a $2,000.
The judge said the incident was serious and could not be excused because of stress on the family from the sentencing of Demuth’s son. He said it was important to maintain the “integrity of the judicial system” so that all participants could do their jobs without intimidation.