The attorney of an animal rights activist accused in Ogle County of falsely reporting a shooting at a rodeo near Rochelle is looking to set a February trial date.

Jodie Wiederkehr of Chicago is charged with two counts of falsely reporting an offense, a Class 4 felony, and one count of harassment by telephone, a misdemeanor. She pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing Aug. 20.

Wiederkehr is the campaign director of Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, which has been advocating for the closure of a rodeo in the county and has provided officials with videos of animals injured during steer tailing events.

[ Northern Illinois counties struggle to regulate Mexican-style rodeos, steer-tailing events in their area ]

Wiederkehr appeared before Ogle County Associate Judge Anthony Peska on Wednesday for a status hearing with one of her attorneys, Brad Thomson of Chicago. She’s also being represented by Chris Carraway of Colorado, but he was not present.

At the hearing, Thomson told Peska that he’s received some discovery items from the state and will be filing a motion for additional discovery.

Discovery is the formal process where each party exchanges information relevant to the case to prepare for trial.

Thomson also asked to set a trial date since it looks like “the case is proceeding to trial.”

Ogle County Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leiston did not object.

The earliest that all parties said they’d be available would be February, but no date was set.

On Aug. 20, Peska ruled that probable cause does exist after Ogle County sheriff’s deputy Justin Diehl, Wiederkehr‘s arresting officer, took the stand.

[ Animal rights advocate protesting Ogle County rodeo pleads not guilty to false reporting charges ]

When questioned by Leiston, Diehl said that on May 25 he met with two dispatch officers who told him they had received a call in which the caller said, “I saw somebody get shot,” and another call that “was in reference to someone being shot” at 16989 Ritchie Road, south of Rochelle.

That property is the location of the Mexican-style rodeo Rancho La Esperanza, according to county documents.

Despite SHARK and many residents advocating for its closure, the rodeos continue under a special-use permit issued by the Ogle County Board in 2012. Wiederkehr told Shaw Local that events are scheduled at the property Oct. 4 and Oct. 18.

At the Aug. 20 hearing, Thomson said it’s “important to look at the calls in the context they were made” because the general intent of all those calls was to report “animal cruelty.”

Peska set Wiederkehr’s next hearing for 1 p.m. Nov. 12.