Former Cook County Public Health and Human Services Department head Joshua Beck appeared in Cook County Court on Monday, September 11 facing an array of charges including felony child abuse and felony domestic assault.
Beck resigned his position with the county on July 21.
On August 1, 2017 Beck was charged with two felony charges and two gross misdemeanors alleging child endangerment. The charges included one felony count of domestic assault by strangulation. One assault in the 3rd degree (past). A pattern of child abuse (past), which endangered a child and could cause harm or death; and another charge of endangering a child where the situation was such that it could cause harm or death.
According to court documents some of the abuse claims center around Beck’s actions that he took against his family and go back two years.
The first claim related to this case was filed in court on August 1, 2016.
An omnibus hearing was set for September 26. A pre-trial date was set for October 9 and the trial scheduled for October 11-13. Beck will have to return from Gila County, Arizona for each of the proceedings. After leaving employment with Cook County, Beck returned to his former place of employment where he worked in Health and Human Services.
During his time in Arizona Beck worked as the Health in Arizona Policy Initiative (HAPI) coordinator for Gila County, working with worksite wellness initiatives. He was also a public health officer for the city of San Antonio, working to implement policies to combat the obesity epidemic in San Antonio, and he was also coordinator for the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Wellness programs for the Wellness Connection of the Greater Dayton Region in Ohio.
Lara Nygaard, assistant attorney for Lake County, is representing the state of Minnesota in the case against Beck. Josh, who was represented in court on Monday by Grand Marais attorney Tyson Smith, lists Christine Groshek of Minneapolis as his attorney for the upcoming trial.
During the proceedings Nygaard asked the judge to set the bail at $50,000 and that he have no contact wit his children. Judge Michael Cuzzo set bail at $20,000 and ordered Beck to have no contact with his children throughout the case.
Staff from the First Witness Child Advocacy in Duluth interviewed two minor children involved in the case. One who is 10 and one who is 12 both testified to physical and verbal abuse by Beck, which had been going on for years.
Priscilla Beck, the wife of Josh Beck, was in the courtroom on Monday. Priscilla and Josh are separated but are still married and are planning to remain married. Following the proceedings on Monday Josh returned to Arizona and Priscilla returned to Indiana where she lives close to her mother, Karen Perkins.
Following the court proceedings where dates for the upcoming trial against Josh were set, Judge Cuzzo listened to arguments about where the Beck children should be placed. The six children are currently living with their grandmother, Karen Perkins. Following lengthy arguments it was determined to have the children stay with their grandmother until the legal case against Josh is resolved.
There will be a separate hearing regarding custody or placement of the Beck children later in October.
Last, there was a brief hearing regarding a misdemeanor charge Karen Perkins faces for disorderly conduct. The charge was brought by the state of Minnesota for “brawling or fighting.” Perkins was scheduled to attend a court hearing on October 24.
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