Linn County Clerk of Courts Sharon Modracek is taking some heat this week for a mistake which led to a man being released from jail who shouldn’t have and he landed up assaulting two police officers during a traffic stop.
Modracek stood up and took the blame for one of her clerk’s mistakes. In a time when not many who hold local, state or national offices readily admit mistakes and take responsibility, I think she deserves credit for that. She’s an honest lady and I know she feels bad and I’m sure that clerk who made the mistake does.
Chris Houston, 20, is accused of assaulting the two Cedar Rapids police officers last Thursday. Officer John Dunkelberger broke his right hand, and Officer Tracy Schmidt took an elbow to the face.
Houston was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit a felony and assault causing bodily injury in June 2009 after he punched another teenage boy with brass knuckles and took his property. He got a 10-year suspended prison sentence and ordered to spend up to a year in a Cedar Rapids halfway house.
He then racked up some other violations and landed up back in jail. Judge Marsha Beckelman then ordered Houston to remain jail until the time of his next hearing – Feb. 15. But Houston was released Feb. 7 after his mother paid 10 percent of the $10,000 bond at the clerk of court’s office.
When Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden found out about his release he filed an application to bring him back into custody without bail. Senior Judge Thomas Koehler granted the request and an arrest warrant was issued but Houston was free for 37 days until the traffic stop.
Granted, this was a bad mistake, but I don’t think anybody should hold Sharon or a clerk responsible for Houston’s actions. It’s rare that the Linn County clerks make this kind of mistake. Covering the courts and dealing with them on a daily basis I know how conscientious they all are about their work. They are a dedicated group of people and many of them have been there for years, and are knowledgeable about every facet of the system.
You can’t imagine the mounds of paperwork that come into that office each day. I seldom see the clerks taking a break because they are too busy. If they’re not imputing numerous orders and other documents, they are filing, answering the phones, helping residents and lawyers at the window.
The clerks have been under some unusual pressure over the last two years. They just got through the flood and then got hit again with the budget cuts, as all the state courts. The office lost three clerks and those positions won’t be filled. All the clerks have more responsibilities and had to cross train to be able to cover for each other with fewer people.
I’m not making excuses for them just offering another point of view. We all make mistakes so don’t be so quick to “cast that first stone” cause you may get a black eye 
