According to the live blog of Jeff Reinertz of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, the trial is canceled for today. It may resume tomorrow:
Sholom's wife said he had a bite or something on his arms from last week. Apparently it got worse over the weekend. She doesn't know where he is.
Court attendant said no court today.
Jens Krogstad of the Des Moines Register blogs more details:
Rubashkin hospitalized over weekend
by Jens Krogstad • Des Moines Register
9:18 a.m., Waterloo, Ia. — The family of Sholom Rubashkin said he was hospitalized over the weekend in Cedar Rapids with a skin infection on his arm.
His wife, Leah Rubashkin, said he complained last week of a bite, but didn’t know how it originated. His family said they thought the condition wasn’t serious.
Over the weekend, he received an intravenous antibiotic and a round of oral antibiotics, she said. On Sunday, he complained about the rash again, and he was kept overnight at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids. His attorneys and family are now having trouble finding him.
“They kept him overnight, and now we don’t know where he is,” Leah Rubashkin said.
The judge and attorneys are in chambers now discussing the issue. Court is adjourned for today and will resume tomorrow morning.
Check back for more updates as they become available.
UPDATE: They found Rubashkin. Here are the details from Jens Krogstad and the Des Moines Register Crimes and Courts blog:
10:30 a.m., Waterloo, Ia. — Had a chance to chat with his family for a few more minutes after the initial confusion this morning, and we now have a more detailed version of what happened.
Sholom Rubashkin remains at Mercy Hospital this morning with a skin infection of unknown origin. His family said they don’t believe his condition to be serious.
Court is canceled today, and scheduled to resume tomorrow morning.
Rubashkin’s rash first appeared two weeks ago during pre-trial hearings and jury selection, his family said.
Doctors prescribed him oral antibiotics last week, but he woke up Sunday morning with his arm red, hot and swollen, his wife Leah Rubashkin said.
Staff at Linn County jail transported him to Mercy Hospital, she said, where they kept him overnight and administered intravenous antibiotics.
This morning, neither his attorneys nor his family could initially locate him because of medical privacy laws. Attorneys still were not allowed to meet with him because of privacy laws, even after they located him at Mercy Hospital, his wife said.
Around 10 a.m., Black Hawk County District Associate Judge Nathan Callahan issued an order that allowed Rubashkin’s attorneys to meet with their client.
With Rubashkin located and access granted to him, his family and counsel left the courtroom around 10:15 a.m.