Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
A Missoula city councilwoman arrested last week for driving under the influence of alcohol pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of DUI per se, then apologized for her actions during a Missoula City Council meeting.
“I made a human error in judgment,” Pam Walzer, 54, said during the evening council meeting. “I was wrong and fully accept the responsibilities and consequences. This is my first DUI.”
Walzer read from a prepared statement at the meeting. She earlier appeared in Missoula Municipal Court before Judge Don Louden for the change-of-plea hearing. She pleaded guilty to per se drunken driving, whereby a defendant admits to driving with a blood alcohol content greater than 0.08 – which is against the law – but does not admit to driving while intoxicated.
At the council meeting, Walzer also turned the tables on those who called for her resignation. She said she regrets her flawed judgment, but she hopes to continue serving on the council in the future if that is the will of voters in Ward 2.
“I do not believe my lapse in judgment affects my ability to serve my constituents,” Walzer said. She went on. “I intend to continue my position on City Council.”
Continue reading.
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Tags: « DUI - guilty - Missoula City Council - missoula court news - Pam Walzer »
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Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Michael Moore does a superb job covering Sgt. Bob Heinle’s memorial service. It’s a moving tribute to a great man and a fine police officer.
As Pastor Lowell Hochhalter wrapped up Wednesday’s memorial service for former Missoula Police Sgt. Bob Heinle, he set a pair of Heinle’s boots on the lectern.
They looked relatively new; after all, the man who owned them hadn’t walked since October 1998, when he was shot by a man trying to cash a forged check.
But it would be a mistake to view the shoes as untraveled. Their owner was anything but.
“They’ve traveled miles,” said Hochhalter, a close friend of Heinle and his wife, Lisa. “They’ve covered some ground.”
His travels ended unexpectedly on Friday, when Heinle, paralyzed from the neck down, died at Community Medical Center. He was 47.
Keep reading.
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Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
The YWCA’s Caitlin Copple sent me this note about an award established to honor Judy Wang, the deputy city attorney killed last September by an allegedly impaired driver.
David J. Bugni, 26, is charged with negligent homicide and criminal endangerment in Wang’s death, and was allegedly driving 108 mph when he crashed into her car on I-90. He has pleaded not guilty.
Here’s Copple’s release:
In response to the death of Missoula city prosecutor Judy Wang, YWCA Missoula has established an award in her honor.
“She was such a good person and such an extraordinary community member,” said YWCA executive director, Cindy Weese. “Her body of knowledge and expertise around domestic violence is unmatched, but we know that other women in Missoula are carrying on her legacy.”
For the past 21 years, the YWCA has recognized local women leaders for their service to the community, with specific awards honoring excellence in racial justice, economic empowerment, and a young woman’s achievements. Winners must embody the YWCA’s mission of creating peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people. Community members are encouraged to submit nominations, which are due by Friday, March 12.
The 22nd Salute to Women awards dinner will be held Thursday, May 13, at the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park. Reservations are $30 for YWCA members or $35 for the general public and can be made by calling 543.6691.
“We hope Missoulians will nominate their mothers, sisters, co-workers, aunts, daughters, teachers, anyone who has made a difference in this community,” said Weese. “While the awards honor women, we also encourage men to submit nominations.”
To learn more or download a nomination form, visit www.ywcaofmissoula.org. Completed forms may be faxed to the YWCA at 543-6777, mailed to 1130 W. Broadway, Missoula, MT, 59802, or emailed to jmaturen@ywcaofmissoula.org by Friday, March 12.
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Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
A female patient at Montana’s psychiatric hospital was reportedly raped by a convicted sex offender in March 2008, and the state recently paid a $375,000 settlement to avoid litigation in the case.
More glaring than the sexual assault on a mentally ill, newly committed patient, however, is the lax supervision and lack of oversight that allowed the rape to happen at a state-run hospital, according to a Montana civil rights group that investigated the claim.
Disability Rights Montana, a private nonprofit law firm required by the federal government to investigate allegations of abuse or neglect, not only found that hospital personnel failed to comply with their own policies – a lapse in procedure that gave a convicted rapist unfettered access to the hospital’s general population – but that other patients notified staff of the rape while it was in progress, and yet still no steps were taken to investigate the claim.
According to a negligence claim filed with the Montana Department of Administration, the man locked himself and the then-27-year-old patient inside a hospital bathroom for 90 minutes without staff noticing, and on two consecutive nights was allowed to hold court in the general unit’s “day room” while leading a group of mentally ill inpatients in a sexually charged game of “Truth or Dare” until 2 a.m., more than three hours after the hospital’s mandatory lights-out policy.
“It was like putting a fox in the henhouse,” said Charlie McCarthy, an advocacy specialist with DRM. “He was given campus privileges. He was walking around on campus.”
Read more.
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Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
This is such sad news.
I saw Bob and Lisa Heinle coming across the Higgins Avenue Bridge at last summer’s Missoula Marathon, which Lisa ran to raise money for spinal cord research. I remember being so inspired by their firm and steadfast spirit, and by their commitment to one another and to the community.
Sgt. Heinle will be missed, to be sure, but mostly he will be remembered. Here is a link to Sunday’s Missoulian story, and below is the media release from Missoula Police Chief Mark Muir. It gives details about Wednesday’s memorial:
The family of Sgt. Bob Heinle (Ret.) has asked the Police Department to share with the media the scheduled date and time for a public memorial service for Bob, who died Friday, February 12th, 2010 at Community Hospital in Missoula. Sgt. Heinle retired in 1999 after being shot and paralyzed during an attempt to apprehend James Martin, a suspect in a stolen check forgery at a local bank.
Bob Heinle was a fine officer and leader in the Missoula Police Department and remains a hero in our hearts and minds, along with his wonderful wife Lisa who gave so much to making his life after retirement a wonderful, fulfilling experience.
The community is invited to join in remembrance of Sgt. Heinle on Wednesday afternoon at 1 PM. The service will be held at the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, located at 100 Foss Ct. East, near the intersection of Hillview and Alliance Way. Carpooling is recommended due to parking limitiations.
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Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Read the charging document.
The Missoula County Attorney’s Office on Wednesday filed a charge of aggravated assault against a woman who allegedly stabbed a man in the chest Tuesday night at the Palace Apartments on West Broadway.
Colanda L. Lint, 34, was initially charged with a count of attempted murder because of the seriousness of the injuries to 42-year-old Geoffrey Price. However, prosecutors filed the lesser charge after reviewing investigative reports.
The victim remains hospitalized with serious injuries that do not appear life threatening, according to police.
“There was a disturbance between a man and a woman and it basically just ended up escalating into a stabbing,” said Missoula Police Sgt. Bob Bouchee. “The female stabbed the male in the chest area.”
Bouchee said police received the emergency call at around 8:45 p.m. When they arrived, the victim and suspect were the only people in the apartment. There is no evidence to suggest that anyone else was involved, he said.
Lint will appear on the felony charge Wednesday afternoon in Missoula County Justice Court.
According to the charging document, police recovered an 8-inch kitchen knife from the apartment. The weapon had a width of between 2 and 3 inches. Price was stabbed about two inches below his left nipple and three inches toward the center of his chest.
Lint told police that she and Price had been arguing. At some point, he handed her the knife and said “Why don’t you just go ahead and stab me then?” records state.
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
A 34-year-old woman is in jail on a felony charge of attempted murder after she allegedly stabbed a man in the chest Tuesday night at the Palace Apartments on West Broadway.
Colanda L. Lint faces a single count of attempted deliberate homicide and remains jailed in Missoula. The 42-year-old victim is hospitalized with serious injuries that do not appear to be life threatening, according to police.
“There was a disturbance between a man and a woman and it basically just ended up escalating into a stabbing,” said Missoula Police Sgt. Bob Bouchee. “The female stabbed the male in the chest area.”
Bouchee said police received the emergency call at around 8:45 p.m. When they arrived, the victim and suspect were the only people in the apartment. There is no evidence to suggest that anyone else was involved, he said.
Lint will appear on the felony charge this afternoon in Missoula County Justice Court.
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Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
From the Associated Press:
The state’s Supreme Court chief justice is advocating a new ballot measure that would use alcohol tax money for prevention and treatment efforts.
Mike McGrath, who used to be the state’s attorney general, pitched the plan to a legislative committee Tuesday.
Lawmakers are mulling changes to the state’s drunk driving laws.
McGrath says the ballot measure would fund treatment courts and other drug and alcohol and treatment and prevention programs with taxes on alcohol sales.
McGrath says that repeat drunken drivers are a problem that afflicts every community in the state.
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Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
Dispatchers on the police scanner Sunday said a woman had been living at the Super Wal-Mart store on Mullan Road for three days.
It seems plausible. After all, the colossal box store is open 24/7, and it’s big enough that you could circumnavigate the building for about 72 hours without being noticed.
I checked in with police the next day, and they said the woman’s car had broken down near the store several days earlier. She had been “waiting” there for a ride ever since. The officers didn’t even take down a police report because she was essentially just loitering, but the Wal-Mart brass wanted her removed.
“She was not charged with anything,” said Missoula Police Sgt. Bob Bouchee. “She wasn’t there shopping, she was just using the business as a place to hang out for an apparent ride that was on its way.”
Anyway, if you’re hunting for any cheap vacation packages I hear the deli samples are out of sight.
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A Missoula city councilwoman arrested last week for driving under the influence of alcohol pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of DUI per se, then apologized for her actions during a Missoula City Council meeting.