Former city council candidate receives stay in case

A man who faced criminal charges during his run for Dodge Center City Council has received a stay of adjudication in the case.
Matthew David Legler, 48, was originally charged with fourth-degree assault of a peace officer, a felony; and one count each of trespassing, disorderly conduct and making an emergency call when there was no emergency, all misdemeanors.
Late last month, he pleaded guilty to an amended count of obstruction of the legal process-interfering with a peace officer, a gross misdemeanor. In exchange for the plea, the misdemeanors were all dismissed.
Legler was sentenced to a year of supervised probation and ordered to continue with mental health services. In addition, he must not trespass onto Triton School District property.
If he successfully completes the terms of his sentence, there will be no conviction for the offense, and the charge will ultimately be dismissed.
The case began in October, when a Dodge County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw Legler driving near Triton Public School in Dodge Center. The deputy knew Legler had been trespassed from all school property since May 2024.
Legler told the officer he didn’t know anything about being trespassed, then called 911 when he was told he was going to be arrested.
The deputy was able to partially handcuff Legler — who then pulled away, spun around and punched the deputy in the head with a closed fist multiple times, court documents say.
According to the criminal complaint, another officer who responded to the scene deployed his taser to gain control and handcuff Legler.
The deputy was bleeding from the ear and had considerable swelling, the report says and he was diagnosed with a minor concussion.