Court briefs 9/14/06

Hearing held for Cape man charged in assault

Probable cause was found against a man charged with attacking Cape Girardeau police officers while naked. Michael McLeary, 52, of 606 S. Silver Springs Road, is accused of attempting to choke and kick officers, and grabbing at an officer's sidearm during a struggle near his home on Aug. 13. At the time, McLeary was not wearing any clothing. During a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp found probable cause in three of the four charges against McLeary, whom he bound over to circuit court. McLeary was scheduled to appear Sept. 25 before Judge Benjamin Lewis on charges of misdemeanor property damage and two counts of felony assault of a law enforcement officer. Probable cause for a fourth charge, felony resisting arrest, was not found but the charge could be refiled later, assistant prosecuting attorney Brent Nelson said.

20-year sentence given to Perryville resident

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Perryville man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years for the rape of a 7-year-old girl. After entering his guilty plea, Steven J. Ochs, 47, was sentenced Aug. 24 by Circuit Judge William Syler. Ochs is accused of raping the girl on two occasions in 2004 in a recreational vehicle in Perryville. Ochs, who has previous convictions for sexual abuse of a child in Missouri and Ohio, had been scheduled for a jury trial Friday in Perry County.