Man faces charge of having knife in courthouse

An Albert Lea man charged with possessing a folding knife in the Freeborn County Courthouse pleaded not guilty Thursday in Freeborn County District Court.

Alex Cortez Jr., 22, is charged with possessing a dangerous knife in a courthouse complex.

Court documents state a deputy removed a black, approximately 9-inch folding knife with an approximately 4-inch long titanium blade from Cortez’s pocket. Another man outside the courtroom stated he had been at the courthouse alone to watch a hearing for a case in which his mother’s ex-husband was charged, court documents state.

The man reportedly called Cortez to the courthouse to “have his back in case anything happened,” court documents state.

One person at the hearing told authorities she and Cortez exchanged words as she was leaving and that he reportedly told her he knew where she sleeps.

In a Mirandized interview, Cortez reportedly said he came to the courthouse at the request of the man, and claimed he puts his pocket knife in his pocket in the morning when he gets dressed.

Cortez denied telling anyone “I know where you sleep,” court documents state. He reportedly told law enforcement that he had only said “You don’t know who I am.”

A settlement conference is scheduled for Jan. 5 and a jury trial is scheduled for April 11, if the case has not been settled by then.

Possessing a dangerous weapon in a courthouse carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.