Case was ‘beyond any sense of justice’
Published 10:01 am Tuesday, March 17, 2015
More than four years after he was first charged with multiple counts tied to misusing the city-issued credit card, former Albert Lea City Manager Jim Norman maintains his case has been an injustice not only to himself but the taxpayers.
A warrant last week was issued for Norman’s arrest after he reportedly failed to appear for a probation violation hearing.
Norman, 61, said he lives with his brother most of the time in Waconia, and his brother and wife are vacation for a month in Florida and have had their mail held. He said the notification of the hearing was in the mail that was being held, so he did not receive the notice in time to appear.
A 12-member jury in May 2011 found Norman guilty of five counts of permitting false claims against government by a public officer, one count of theft by swindle and one count of misconduct by a public officer. Norman had misused the city-issued credit card for personal purchases, charging more than $2,000 during his first few months as city manager in 2010. He paid back the funds before he was charged.
A Freeborn County District Court judge sentenced Norman to 90 days of electronic home monitoring and five years of probation, along with 100 hours of community service.
Norman appealed, and reversed the gross misdemeanor conviction of misconduct by a public officer.
He questioned whether the whole matter could have been handled differently.
“Did I make a mistake?” he said. “Of course I did. Maybe I should have lost my job over the matter, but to be charged and convicted of multiple felonies is beyond any sense of justice.”
He said it could have been brought to the Albert Lea City Council and a warning or even a suspension given instead of being charged with multiple felony counts. He has been out of public administration ever since.
Norman said he suffered a devastation of his finances and a divorce and was forced to accept a wide variety of jobs to make ends meet, including contract work, temporary positions, substitute teaching and others.
“My focus has always been to find my way back to the career path I so enjoyed in public administration,” he said.
He said he had what he described as his “breaking point” about a year ago when he came close to serving as an economic development director in Thief River Falls but was ultimately not hired because of his background ion Albert Lea.
“When it was determined that the local news media would have a field day with a convicted felon assisting the community, I was not offered the position.
He said he went into a depression, and after an earlier drinking and driving violation, he was arrested three times for driving without a license.
After much self-examination and hard work, he said he is ready to take accountability for his actions and move on with life.
At this point, he said his only way to return to public administrative position is probably as a department head.
“I desperately desire a time and opportunity to return to the field of public administration and to that end I want to complete whatever legal obligations I am required to complete,” Norman said.