An attorney retained on behalf of Cass County Health System CEO Todd Hudspeth, Thursday, entered a written Alford Plea for Hudspeth, on his felony charge in Buena Vista County, of Forgery. Legal experts say an Alford Plea is a guilty plea by a defendant who proclaims he is innocent of the crime, and admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to prove that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. It is entered when the accused, together with his attorney, has made the calculated decision to plead guilty because the evidence against him is so strong that it will likely lead to conviction. Typically, it results in a guilty plea of a lesser crime

A jury trial was set to begin in Hudspeth’s case on July 12th, but with his plea, a pre-sentence investigation (PSI) will now take place August 1st, during what’s called a “Plea taking.”

CCHS CEO Todd Hudspeth

Last month, Hudspeth had entered a written plea of Not Guilty to the Forgery charge filed against him in Buena Vista County Court. Storm Lake Police had earlier arrested Hudspeth after he allegedly presented a $10,000 check with a forged signature at Storm Lake MetaBank. Hudspeth has said the check was deposited into a checking account to pay for his son’s college expenses. Hudspeth later acknowledged he had made a poor decision in endorsing a disbursement check that included his name, and that of his ex-wife. Hudspeth admitted that he took “A foolish shortcut to expedite” the process of transferring funds for his son’s expenses.

Hudspeth faces a similar felony charge in Cass County, filed in May. That charge was based on the Forgery case filed by the Storm Lake Police Department. Hudspeth entered a written plea of Not Guilty in his Cass County case.  A waiver for his preliminary hearing was submitted May 24th .