MASON CITY – A Cedar Rapids man who earlier this year attempted to steal a baby from a Clear Lake restaurant-bar has pleaded guilty, a source close to the case indicated Monday afternoon.
Jonathan L. Workman, 34, was originally charged with a range of crimes after an incident in April at Rumorz Bar in Clear Lake. Workman grabbed the establishment’s owner’s six month old son, Kasen, out of the arms of a woman and attempted to flee with the child before being subdued by patrons. The incident was caught on video (see below).
According to Katie Showalter, Monday at the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse, Workman plead guilty to Child Stealing, a class C felony.
“They dropped the two assault charges,” Showlater said. “At least he took responsibility for what he did.”
Trial in the case was set for August 27th. “He plead guilty, no court tomorrow,” Showalter reported to friends and family Monday.
Records show that a child endangerment charge was dropped in May by Judge Colleen Weiland.
Workman has previously been convicted of felony child endangerment causing bodily injury in 2008.
Video:
httpv://youtu.be/amfXh-OqzLA
Here is where defense money for a lawyer really pays off. This guy was off his rocker, shell shocked from a previous loss of a child. Sure what he did is wrong and of course he should be punished, but it’s also clear there was clear mitigating circumstances that we and the court will never know about because he pled out. What he did was more of a crazy act, then a criminal act.
Oh well, not everyone has tens of thousands for a lawyer but it sure helps in the way of justice.
Hey Einstein, he had a public defender.
He had a public pretender.