A Scott County District Court judge on Friday delayed a ruling on a motion to dismiss a misdemeanor charge of assault while displaying a weapon against former Davenport alderman Keith Edwin Meyer.

Mr. Meyer, 71, of 1010 N. Marquette St., was charged in Scott County in connection with a Nov. 11 incident at his home in which he is accused of threatening his neighbor with a gun.

He appeared on Friday in court wearing a black suit, his salt-and-pepper hair tied into a knot on the back of his head, to represent himself during arguments over his motion to dismiss the charge.

"The question today is not whether you are guilty of the charge," Judge Cheryl Traum told Mr. Meyer, adding no witness testimony would be allowed.

Instead, the judge said the hearing on Friday was to determine whether there was sufficient information supplied in a Bill of Particulars for Mr. Meyers to prepare a defense for himself.

Mr. Meyer read aloud from court records documenting the allegations against him. He vehemently denied cursing, threatening or pointing a gun at his neighbor, shouting "not a fact" in a gravelly voice each time he read an allegation he believed to be untrue.

He further claimed police had conducted an illegal search of his home on Nov. 11 by entering uninvited. Judge Traum said she would also take this into consideration when she made her ruling as to whether the charge should be dropped.

In the meantime, the judge and Assistant Scott County AttorneyWill Ripley agreed Mr. Meyer could have any documents he had subpoenaed from the city and police department regarding the case.

Before the hearing's conclusion, Judge Traum advised Mr. Meyer to reconsider hiring an attorney.

Mr. Meyer said he wished for representation, but claimed he had problems with his past two lawyers. He indicated earlier in the hearing he was unsure whether his Social Security benefits made him ineligible for a court-appointed attorney.

"Yes, I know what I'm up against," he told the judge. "... Hey, I'm taking a risk," he said, but added he also was "taking a risk going out and hiring an attorney."

The judge had not entered a ruling on the case as of late afternoon Friday, according to the Scott County Clerk's Office.

Mr. Meyer served two terms as 3rd Ward alderman from 2003 until his defeat by Bill Boom in 2007.