Gregory County Courthouse still damaged after police say man drove into doors, broke into judge's chambers
Sep. 19—BURKE, S.D. — The Gregory County Courthouse is still damaged after police say a man rammed his vehicle into its doors and broke into a judge's chambers.
Andrew Lubbers, 39, of Gregory, was indicted by a grand jury on Sept. 9 and faces four felony charges, including first- and second-degree burglary; intentional damage to property; and threatening or intimidating a judicial officer.
The Gregory County Courthouse, built in 1934, is located in Burke and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was listed for its significance in the areas of politics/government and architecture, according to the South Dakota State Historical Society.
An affidavit from the Burke Police Department says Lubbers drove a blue Hyundai car into the courthouse multiple times on Friday, Aug. 23. Officials received a call at about 7 a.m., when the building was closed, that a person ran into the courthouse with a vehicle.
The affidavit says an officer ran the plate for the vehicle and it came back owned by Lubbers. The officer stepped into the main entrance and yelled for Lubbers, who came down the steps with a pen and sticky notes in his hand.
Footage from the courthouse's cameras allegedly shows Lubbers driving through the back parking lot and driving his car into the back door multiple times. It also shows Lubbers going around to the front door and ramming it.
"Once Andrew was able to gain access to the inside of the building, he went into the judge's chambers," the affidavit says.
The Burke officer reported he found several notes in the judge's chambers with messages on them regarding a protection order that was recently presided over by that judge.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation helped investigate the matter. A spokesman for the South Dakota Attorney General's Office declined to comment on the messaging to the judge left on the notes.
Gregory County Auditor Julie Bartling on Thursday told the Mitchell Republic that the courthouse is still missing front and back doors and that both entrances are boarded up. She said the doors are special order and the building may be without them for another six weeks.
She said the public is using the back entrance where the building's structure also needs work. She said the structure in the front of the building is sound.
A motions hearing for Lubbers is scheduled for Nov. 11 and a jury trial scheduled for Nov. 25.
The most severe of the charges Lubbers faces is first-degree burglary, which is a Class 2 felony in South Dakota is punishable upon conviction by up to 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
