Something fishy about conviction

The Janesville Gazette trumpets: "Pastor convicted of obstructing justice."

I hope the jury is privy to info the reporter wasn't. What's reported:

Fogderud, the founder of The Overflowing Cup Total Life Center in Beloit, saw the boys at Burger King, 400 W. Centerway, and invited them to the concert, attorneys said.

The [teenage] boys were scared, attorneys said, and they reported an attempted kidnapping.

Meanwhile, Fogderud left in his vehicle, and he was later pulled over on Centerway and Main Street, attorneys said.

The police stopped Fogderud, but he wouldn't cooperate, assistant district attorney Mary Bricco said. Fogderud wouldn't tell the officer his name, turn off his vehicle or allow a search, Bricco said.

"He wasn't going to cooperate," Bricco said. "He made their job more difficult, and he did it intentionally." Fogderud's attorney, Jeffrey Livingston, said Fogderud didn't know he was under investigation for attempted kidnapping.

The officers were aggressive and never explained to Fogderud why he was stopped, Livingston said.

Fogderud wanted to know why he was being treated so harshly for a traffic stop, Livingston said. "The officer didn't explain his actions whatsoever," he said.

Fogderud claims he did eventually turn off his car, get out and allow a search; the cops don't dispute this.

The attempted kidnapping charges were dismissed. So how much of a threat otherwise could the man, caught in town, present? Was he really a flight risk? Does he have a record? Did the kids claim he was physically threatening?

Not known, but entirely germane for the treatment he received.

Think it's no big deal? Fogderud faces a $10,000 fine and nine months in jail.