In brief: Assault charges dismissed
Assault charges against Todd A. Sawyer were dismissed last week in the middle of his jury trial.
Sawyer, 22, had been charged with first-degree assault for acting as an accessory to the shooting of Robert J. Galliher earlier this year. Justin M. Mullenix, 24, accused of first-degree murder in Galliher’s shooting, faces trial in June.
In court documents, the Spokane County prosecutors’ office said Sawyer and Mullenix are members of the Sureno street gang and were trying to retaliate against Galliher because they thought he was a police informant.
Spokane County Superior Court Judge Michael Price dismissed the charges against Sawyer last Thursday on a motion from Spokane County Assistant Public Defender Kari Reardon after the state rested its case. The jury, sworn in to hear the case on May 5, was dismissed.
Price also ordered Sawyer released from the Spokane County Jail, where he had been held pending trial.
S-R to honor those slain in war
Later this month, The Spokesman-Review will memorialize members of the military from this region who died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If you know of someone killed after leaving Eastern Washington or North Idaho to serve in those countries, please let us know as soon as possible. We don’t want to exclude anyone.
You can call the city desk at (509) 459-5403 or e-mail news@spokesman.com. Please use a subject line of “war memorial” so we don’t miss the message.
The Vox needs young journalists
High school students interested in journalism are needed for The Vox, a student-produced newspaper published by The Spokesman-Review.
Applications are being accepted for the 2008-‘09 school year. Any high school age student in Spokane County or North Idaho may apply. Prior journalism experience isn’t required.
Students should have an interest in writing about news, sports, opinion or entertainment topics. Also needed: photographers, page designers, graphic artists, a political cartoonist and bloggers. Students chosen will work with Spokesman-Review staff.
Students selected will be required to complete training in July and will need to attend staff meetings during the school year at The Spokesman-Review office in downtown Spokane. Applications are available online at spokesman review.com/blogs/vox. E-mail questions to erind@spokesman.com. The deadline is June 13.
Boise
Sali won’t take part in debate
Freshman U.S. Rep. Bill Sali has now decided not to participate in a debate with his GOP primary opponent, Matt Salisbury, that was scheduled to air live statewide on Idaho Public Television on Sunday.
“We can’t do it – we just can’t make it work,” said Sali’s spokesman, Wayne Hoffman.
The debate sponsors – the League of Women Voters, Idaho Press Club, and Idaho Public TV – had offered Sali the option of choosing any other time during the weekend after he suggested he might not be able to make the 7 p.m. Sunday time slot. But Hoffman said Sali’s schedule on that Saturday is full, with a radio interview, parade, gun show and other campaign events.
Salisbury called Sali’s decision “really a disappointment.” He said, “I think the people deserve to hear more, because the last debate we’ve gotten such positive feedback just to hear us debate and see us talk.”
High court rejects candidate’s suit
The Idaho Supreme Court has sided with the secretary of state’s office and rejected a lawsuit from would-be legislative candidate Matt Yost.
Yost, a Democrat, sued after Secretary of State Ben Ysursa’s office said he couldn’t run for the District 15 seat against incumbent Republican Sen. John Andreason because he wasn’t a registered voter in the district for a full year before filing for office.
In a ruling Tuesday, the high court denied Yost’s petition, saying there was another speedy legal remedy available under Idaho law. In an e-mail to supporters, Yost said he was disheartened and would not try to fight the case in the lower courts.
“We purposefully bypassed the typical legal route through the lower courts in order to receive a speedy legal response that would result in a final opinion putting to rest forever whether voter registration for one year is a prerequisite for legislative candidacy,” Yost wrote. “Unfortunately for the people of Idaho, the Supreme Court chose not to act.”
The uncertainty involved in an ongoing court case would make it difficult to raise adequate campaign funding, Yost said, and the case would likely not be resolved in time for Yost to be placed on the general election ballot in November.
Deputy Secretary of State Tim Hurst declined to comment on the ruling or on Yost’s decision.
Seattle
Man dies after boat capsizes
The Coast Guard says one man died after he and two other people were pulled from the Pacific Ocean when their boat capsized off La Push.
Charter fishing boats in the area pulled the three men from the water Tuesday morning, and they were flown by U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard helicopters to Forks Community Hospital.
A 71-year-old man was declared dead at the hospital. His name and hometown were not immediately available.
The Coast Guard says there were 13-foot seas and fog at the scene where a halibut fishing derby was under way.
Two other boats in the area also required assistance from the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard dropped a pump to a 22-foot boat that was taking on water with four people aboard. After the boat was stabilized, a motor lifeboat from the Coast Guard’s Quillayute River station towed the boat to shore.
A 26-foot boat that lost power in heavy seas, except for a small kicker engine, was also towed to La Push.