Woman faces trial in SUV attack

A woman charged with trying to kill her husband by ramming her SUV through a plate-glass door in an office building and crashing into him twice has been bound over for trial.

Third District Judge Robin Reese on Monday set March 5 for a scheduling conference in the case of Brenda Christine White, 31, who is charged with first-degree felony attempted criminal homicide and second-degree felony criminal mischief.

The charges stem from an April 26, 2006, incident in which prosecutors allege White argued with her then-husband, Jon White, over financial matters involving their divorce, then later chased him with her SUV, smashed into his office building, and ran into him twice. He suffered a broken leg and shattered ankle.

Brenda White's original preliminary hearing was held in December 2006, but was continued until Thursday so that lawyers could argue whether cross-examination could be expanded, a request the judge denied.

White's lawyer, Jason Schatz, argued Thursday that the charges against his client should be reduced in severity because the state had not provided documentation that the damage to the building was over $5,000, and that there was not sufficient evidence that Brenda White intended to kill Jon White.

Prosecutor Alicia Cook argued that Brenda White's actions that day, taken as a whole, showed she intended to kill Jon White. Among other things, Cook said Brenda White repeatedly played a song in her vehicle about a woman killing a man, cocked her hand into a gun shape and pointed it at Jon White during the chorus, and verbally threatened to "wipe him off the Earth."

Reese agreed with prosecutors, noting that at this stage of the legal proceedings, his role is to view evidence in a way that is most favorable to the prosecution. The judge said one witness who took the stand and estimated the building damage at $50,000 to $60,000 had sufficient professional credentials to do so. The judge also said Brenda White's extensive pursuit of Jon White in her vehicle indicated that she had more on her mind than simply hurting him.

"It's hard to believe Miss White's intent was not to kill this person," the judge said.

Brenda White is out of jail on $500,000 bail. Jon White, who has remarried and has custody of their two minor children, lives in Iowa.

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E-mail: lthomson@desnews.com