Crystal Lake school board candidate Walter Moist charged with violating order of protection

A man who just ran for school board in Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155 has been charged with violating an order of protection.

Walter A. Moist IV, 46, of Crystal Lake, was charged Friday with violating an order of protection, a misdemeanor, according to McHenry County court records.

According to court records, Moist picked up his son from the parking lot a Crystal Lake restaurant on March 26, and that violated an order of protection against him that forbids him from going on the premises of the restaurant while the person who took out the order is there.

The date of the alleged violation was six days prior to the April 1 election, in which Moist placed last among the seven candidates seeking four seats on the District 155 school board, in unofficial results.

Moist appeared in court Friday afternoon and was released from custody pretrial with conditions, including that he avoid the person who has the order of protection against him, obey other provisions of the protective order and turn in any firearms or firearm owner’s ID card within 24 hours. Prosecutors did not seek his detention but release with conditions.

Moist, who in his candidate questionnaire listed his occupation as a food and nutrition consultant, was appointed a public defender because he is unemployed, according to the information provided to the court.

Moist has had multiple past run-ins with the law, which he addressed during the campaign, saying in a forum last month, “That’s not who I am.”

Court records show he was convicted of felony marijuana possession in 2003, and he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in 2016 and to misdemeanor battery in 2001.

In the 2016 case, Moist originally was charged with a Class 4 felony for allegedly filing a false child abuse report but he later pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly conduct. Moist was sentenced to six months supervision, 30 hours of public service and $1,005 in fines and fees, according to court records.

Moist previously told the Northwest Herald that the charges came about after he found bruises on his child, took the child to the emergency room out of concern that he had been harmed. That led to a report being filed with the Department of Children and Family Services, he said.

Moist is due back in court May 1 on the new misdemeanor charge.

Reporter Michelle Meyer contributed.