The 35-year-old Albert Lea man who faces charges of criminal sexual conduct with two children, along with fleeing a peace officer during a pursuit in April, will be getting a new lawyer for his fleeing charge after a court appearance Monday. 

Richard David Scheib, who is being held in the Freeborn County jail on bail of over $1 million for all his charges, appeared in custody in Freeborn County District Court Monday for what was scheduled to be a default omnibus hearing for his fleeing charges. 

However, his public defender, Stephen Erickson, asked for a continuance of that hearing after he told Freeborn County District Court Judge Steve Schwab that he had a conflict in the case. The case will more than likely be reassigned to public defender Kevin Riha. 

Scheib’s lawyer for his criminal sexual conduct charges is Albert Lea lawyer Peggy Rockow. 

Scheib’s fleeing charges stem from an incident on April 26, when he allegedly pushed an Albert Lea Police Department detective out of the way in the parking lot of the Freeborn County Courthouse before getting in his purple Dodge Caravan. He reportedly removed his global positioning system band and led police officers on a three-mile chase. 

The chase ended when Scheib struck a fire hydrant on South Margaretha Avenue and then ran by foot from police for a short while before being apprehended. 

His more serious charges stem from 2008.

From that year, Scheib faces two counts of first-degree sexual conduct with sexual penetration, involving two girls, who were ages 11 and 9 at the time. He also faces two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the second-degree, one count for each of the two girls. 

According to court papers, the alleged victims described the suspicions found in a diary and how they were to keep the contact a secret.

Scheib is to have no contact with the two girls or their mother. 

Scheib’s release conditions remain the same after Monday’s court hearing with a $1 million bail set in connection with the criminal sexual charges, $200,000 set for the fleeing charges and $6,000 set in connection with a misdemeanor harassment charge. 

He is next scheduled to appear in court on the fleeing charges on July 12 at 1 p.m.