WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |Austin officer's case goes to jury
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Associated Press - November 5, 2009 6:14 PM ET
ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) - An Olmsted County jury has the fate of 1 of Austin's most experienced police officers in its hands.
Jurors began their deliberations late Thursday morning in the case of Capt. Curt Rude, a 23-year veteran who has been on unpaid leave since November 2007.
Rude is charged with two felonies and a gross misdemeanor in the theft of prescription narcotics from the department's evidence room.
His attorney, Peter Wold, says Rude took the pills because he planned to investigate the death of his long-time friend, Mark Johnson, who overdosed on the pills.
But prosecutor Ross Leuning said Rude was not acting as a cop, for him it was personal.
If convicted of a felony, Rude will lose his police license. He also may be forced to resign from the Austin School Board.
Information from: Post-Bulletin, http://www.postbulletin.com
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