XPost: alt.activism, alt.fan.states.illinois, alt.politics.republicans   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: lying@whores.com   
      
   An Ogle County judge will hear arguments in March for motions filed by a   
   Chicago woman’s attorneys seeking to dismiss charges of falsely   
   reporting a shooting near Rochelle in May 2025.   
      
   Jodie Wiederkehr, 56, the campaign director of Showing Animals Respect   
   and Kindness, is charged with two counts of falsely reporting an   
   offense, a Class 4 felony, and one count of harassment by telephone, a   
   misdemeanor. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in August 2025.   
      
   SHARK has been advocating for the closure of a rodeo held at Rancho La   
   Esperanza, on Ritchie Road south of Rochelle, that has hosted   
   steer-tailing events.   
      
   The rodeo has continued to operate under a permanent special-use permit   
   issued by the county, records show. The most recent event was held Oct.   
   18, 2025.   
      
   The charges against Wiederkehr stem from May 25, 2025, when prosecutors   
   allege she repeatedly called 911 and told an Ogle County dispatcher that   
   she saw someone get shot at 16989 Ritchie Road, the location of the   
   rodeo, when she knew what she was telling them was not true, Ogle County   
   State’s Attorney Mike Rock said in a previous interview with Shaw Local.   
      
   Wiederkehr’s attorneys have argued that the context is important, and   
   the intent of those calls was to report animal cruelty.   
      
   On Wednesday, Wiederkehr appeared before Ogle County Associate Judge   
   Anthony Peska for a status hearing.   
      
   Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten asked for more time to   
   respond to motions filed Jan. 20 by Wiederkehr’s attorneys, Brad Thomson   
   of Chicago and Chris Carraway of Colorado. He said the state needed 45   
   days to respond.   
      
   Those three motions ask the court to dismiss all charges, arguing that   
   they violate Wiederkehr’s right to free speech and are a result of   
   vindictive prosecution.   
      
   Wiederkehr’s attorneys also filed a motion in October 2025 requesting an   
   extensive list of discovery items from the state, including all   
   documents, reports and dispatch calls from May 1 to June 17 concerning   
   the rodeo, among several other items. At a hearing Dec. 3, 2025, Leiston   
   said he planned to file a written objection to that motion.   
      
   Peska said all arguments will be heard at Wiederkehr’s next court   
   appearance at 1:30 p.m. March 24.   
      
   “I will block off the entire afternoon,” said Peska, striking February   
   dates for Wiederkehr’s final pretrial hearing and trial.   
      
   https://www.shawlocal.com/ogle-county-news/2026/02/06/woman-seeks-to-have   
   -ogle-county-charges-of-falsely-reporting-a-shooting-dismissed-hearing-se   
   t-for-march/   
      
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