The Cass County Attorney is defending the handling of the case of a 14-year old seventh-grader from Atlantic who received probation Wednesday in juvenile court after he pled guilty to four counts of simple assault. The student admitted he poked or stabbed several classmates with a pencil.
County Attorney Dan Feistner says he is upset with parents that were interviewed by the media and said attorneys were making light of the case. He says local law enforcement did a good job investigating the incidents, and Feistner says he tried to explain that to the parents.
“Quite frankly I’m getting a little tired of it the whole thing, it gets to the point of being ridiculous,” Feistner says. He says as with any other case, law enforcement and the courts can always do a better job, which is their goal. He says one of the parents of the children that were the subject of the assault continues to say things that are not true.
Feistner says to make more out of a court proceeding than what transpired, is “baseless.” He also says he’s getting tired of the father of one of the victims coming into the hearings and and twisting the information around. Feistner was referring to Randall Whitt, who he says told the media the attorneys for the prosecution and juvenile were making light of the case.
Feistner says that’s simply not true. “I’m not making light of it, the attorney for the juvenile is not making light of it, and I’m gonna tell you what, the juvenile court judge did not make light of it at all. She let that juvenile know that it is a criminal offense, that he will be on probation, that he will have terms and conditions that he has to adhere to and if that if he fails to do that, then other repercussions can come to light,” Feistner says, “And I don’t know at what point that Mr. Whitt decides he’s gonna start listening to the truth.”
Feistner says he doesn’t understand how someone can attend a hearing, hear the testimony and evidence, and “five-minutes later tell the media that the attorneys are taking the case lightly.” Parents of the children who were assault say they are still considering legal action in the matter.
By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic