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Former Village President Waits for Sentencing on Sex Crime
A former elected official in East Galesburg will have to wait a couple of months for his sentencing on a felony sex charge.

73-year old Leonard Spicher was found guilty at a bench trial several weeks ago in Knox County Circuit Court of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, but appeared in court Wednesday with Public Defender James Harrell after filing a motion for a new trial.

As soon as the preceding began, State's Attorney John Pepmeyer stood in front of Judge James Stewart and asked for a continuance in the hearing. Pepmeyer said the pre-sentence investigation ordered would take longer than he thought and said that he wished to give a proper written response to the court. He asked the court for transcripts to the trial of Spicher in order to speed up the process.

Harrell had no objection to the continuance. Stewart granted the continuance and scheduled the motion for a new trial and the sentencing portion of Spicher's trial for March 20th.

Spicher was arrested in July after a neighbor allegedly caught him in the bedroom of his mobile home on Bednar Avenue in Galesburg watching a 15 year old boy perform a sex act on a bed. Spicher was the village president in East Galesburg in the mid-80's and ran unsuccessfully for the post two more times in the 90's.
01 28 09 by Newsroom
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