Daniel Jay Jensen, a 50-year-old man who is facing three felony charges — going armed with intent, first-degree burglary and third-degree burglary — has been released from custody.
On May 9, Jensen attempted to force his way into a pregnant woman’s home, which he thought was the current residence of someone else. At the time, Jensen was out on bond for first-degree burglary and armed with intent charges. His bond was set for $10,000, but was revoked a month after the May 9 incident.
At a bond review hearing Tuesday, Jasper County Court District Judge John Lloyd released Jensen and enforced his current bond. Lloyd stipulated that Jensen be put under electronic surveillance and also issued a no-contact order for all the witnesses on the list for his pending court appearances.
One witness is Jensen’s live-in girlfriend, Mary Stewart, and John Billingsley, Jensen’s attorney, asked that she be stricken from the list. Scott Nicholson, assistant county attorney, had no objections to this, and Lloyd struck her name from the no contact order list.
Jensen’s bond review began on Monday and Lloyd issued a continuance for Tuesday when the court was still addressing Jensen’s criminal history. On Tuesday, Lloyd, Billingsley and Nicholson asked him questions about his criminal record, his employment situation and income tax returns.
“It’s very real being away from my family,” Jensen said to the judge before going over the rest of his criminal record on Tuesday.
When asked further about his criminal record, Jensen had difficulty remembering certain details. Nicholson asked Jensen about his two contempt of court convictions and where they took place. Jensen couldn’t remember where a contempt of court charge from 1991 took place, but that it was for unpaid court fines.
Nicholson asked Jensen if he had ever been convicted of attempted escape while being held in custody, which Jensen said he hadn’t. Nicholson also asked if Jensen he had ever failed to appear in court and Jensen also said he had always appeared to his assigned court dates.
Lloyd asked if Jensen had filed a 2012 tax return, which he hadn’t because he said that he didn’t make enough money to warrant a tax return. Jensen also said that his employment was “on again, off again” and that he currently owes about $10,000 in court costs.
Jensen was released from custody and ordered to appear at Fort Des Moines by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday to receive his electronic tracking bracelet. Jensen is also ordered not to leave Jasper County, except to travel to Fort Des Moines.
Staff writer Dave Hon may be contacted at (641) 792-3121, ext. 425, or at dhon@newtondailynews.com.