DES MOINES, Iowa - May 24, 2010 - Eight of the nine people accused of accessing Barack Obama’s student loan records without permission made their initial appearances in a Davenport courtroom Monday and entered not guilty pleas.

The ninth, Gary N. Grenell, 58, of Coralville, was out of the country and set to return, his attorney told Judge Celeste Bremer.

The rest had their trial date set for July 6 with a preliminary hearing on June 14.

No new details about the case or the intentions of each defendant were disclosed at the hearing. They each remained free on recognizance bonds.

The indictments were filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court, Davenport. The defendants are charged with exceeding computer access. Each faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine, if convicted.

According to court records, the defendants worked for a Department of Education contractor in Coralville, Iowa, and each accessed the records on different dates between July 26, 2007, and March 13, 2009.

The others charged include Andrew J. Lage, 54, Patrick E. Roan, 51, Sandra Teague, 54, and Mercedes Costoyas, 53, all of Iowa City; Lisa Torney, 49, of Coralville; Anna C. Rhodes, 32, of Ainsworth, Iowa; Julie L. Kline, 38, of West Branch, Iowa; and John P. Phommivong, 29, for whom no hometown was listed.

The records were accessed while Obama was a candidate for president, president-elect, and after he took office.