Judge issues court summons for Dell Schanze


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SALT LAKE CITY — A federal judge has issued a summons for Dell "Super Dell" Schanze to return to court because he has allegedly not followed the conditions of his pre-trial release.

On Tuesday, a Pre-Trial Services officer filed a petition with the court alleging that Schanze "failed to comply with conditions of release. Officers have been unable to inspect the residence for the presence of firearms, ammunition or other dangerous weapons."

A summons was also issued on Tuesday, according to court records. A pre-trial release violation hearing is now scheduled for Dec. 30 at 10 a.m.

Schanze, 45, of American Fork, a local entrepreneur who founded Totally Awesome Computers and is known for his vociferous personality and sometimes controversial opinions, faces misdemeanor charges for allegedly chasing an owl with his motorized paraglider more than three years ago and kicking it in an incident that was caught on video.

During his initial court hearing on Dec. 11, Schanze was handcuffed and taken into custody after interjecting himself in an another man's case by standing up and proclaiming, "That's totally unconstitutional … that's not cool at all," when a judge ordered the guns of a man be taken away as a condition of his release from jail.

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Schanze's outbursts continued when his own case was called, and he was put in a holding cell during a lunch break when he initially wouldn't agree to hand over his own weapons while his case was pending.

The judge later released Schanze with several conditions, including restrictions on possessing weapons and traveling. She also ordered him to look for a job and undergo a mental health evaluation.

When asked by reporters outside the courtroom if he had any comments, Schanze said, "Not to you guys. You guys are evil. Stop lying."

The potential penalty for using an aircraft to harass wildlife is up to one year in jail and a $100,000 fine. The penalty for pursuing a migratory bird is up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

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Pat Reavy

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