A continuance was granted in the felony criminal case against former Cook County Public Health and Human Services Director Joshua Beck at Beck’s September 26 omnibus hearing held in Grand Marais.
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.
Mr. Beck resigned his position with the county on July 21 and returned to Gila, Arizona where he works for a former employer. Mr. Beck wasn’t in the courtroom on Tuesday, but he was on the phone and stated his name and birth date for Judge Michael Cuzzo when asked. That was all Mr. Beck, who is currently out on $20,000 bail, said during the omnibus hearing.
Speaking remotely via telephone, Christa Groshek, the Minneapolis attorney representing Mr. Beck, told the judge she needed a continuance because an expert witness for Mr. Beck wasn’t available until November. She also stated that she hadn’t yet received any “evidence of discovery” from the state. Those documents contain damaging testimony gained from the Beck children by the Witness Child Advocacy organization in Duluth who interviewed them.
Mr. Beck’s attorney believes the children may have been coached when they gave their statements.
Lara Nygaard, assistant attorney for Lake County, who is representing the state of Minnesota in this case, said she first sent “evidence of discovery” to Groshek’s co-council, Tyson Smith. But Smith believed he couldn’t forward the evidence to Groshek because he is also representing Joshua and Priscilla Beck in a separate child custody case. Smith felt the “evidence of discovery” might jeopardize the criminal case.
Once Nygaard found Smith hadn’t forwarded the documents to Groshek, she sent them again and said they should have arrived at Groshek’s office on Monday, September 25. Groshek replied she had worked until 7 p.m. on Monday and nothing had come to her office from Nygaard.
Another reason for asking for the continuance, said Groshek, was that her co-defense attorney Tyson Smith is out of the country and won’t return until October 11.
After some discussion, the judge and Nygaard agreed that Groshek should have some time to review the documents and the judge allowed the continuance.
According to court documents some of the abuse claims center around Beck’s actions against two of his children. One said she had been abused for years, alleging Beck threw objects at her and used physical violence towards her. A second child said Beck had caused him pain for years, once throwing him to the ground and causing his head to bleed.
The first claim related to this case was filed in court on August 1, 2016.
Currently the Beck children are living in Indiana with their grandmother, Karen Perkins, who was awarded temporary custody until the legal matters are cleared up with their father and mother. Priscilla Beck, the wife of Josh, lives near her mother in Indiana. Despite their troubles, the couple has stated their intentions are to remain married.
A separate hearing regarding custody or placement of the Beck children is scheduled for October 9.
In an unrelated matter, Karen Perkins must return to Cook County court on October 24 to face disorderly conduct charges for “brawling or fighting.”
A pre-trial conference was scheduled for January 8, 2018, at 3 p.m. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for November 13 at 2:30 p.m. and the trial was set for January 30 to February 2.
Mr. Beck was scheduled to appear for pre-trial October 9 and the trial was originally scheduled for October 11-13. He faces an array of charges including felony child abuse and felony domestic assault.
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