Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong.

A district court judge said a Davenport man, claiming to be Jesus and John the Baptist at his arrest, was a "completely different person" at his sentencing Wednesday.

Judge Mary Howes said Russell L. Palmer, 45, 3544 Kimberly Downs Road, did not remember the incidents for which he had been jailed since January.

Judge Howes sentenced him to 30 days in jail on one count of assaulting a healthcare worker and one count of assault with injury on a peace officer. A third assault on an officer charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Mr. Palmer was released from Scott County Jail Wednesday because he had already served more than enough time since his arrest Jan. 2.

Mr. Palmer was arrested an incident at Cheddar's Restaurant, 1221 E. Kimberly Road, Davenport.

Police found a man sitting in the bar lounge, exposing himself and yelling he was Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, according to an affidavit filed in Scott County District Court.

Mr. Palmer underwent a psychological evaluation at the Iowa Department of Corrections' facility in Anamosa, Iowa. There Mr. Palmer was diagnosed schizophrenic, Judge Howes said in court, adding he got better with medication.

"I don't think you're an assaultive person," the judge told Mr. Palmer. "I think you're mentally ill and there's no shame in that."

This guy's mistake was hanging out at the bar at Cheddars. At the joints where I used to hang out, this sort of thing wouldn't have been all that remarkable.
It's worth noting though, the frequency with which schizophrenics suffer from religious delusions. There often appears to be a thin line between fervent religious beliefs and madness.