Idaho Falls attorney Steve Taggart, who attended the court hearing today on the attempt by Bonneville County GOP officials Doyle Beck and Bryan Smith to depose a group of local and state GOP officials, reports that Senior Judge Richard St. Clair has quashed the move for the depositions.

The judge had earlier given the go-ahead to the two to question the other officials under oath, but today granted a motion for reconsideration, overturned the earlier decision and put an end to it.

Eagle attorney Christ Troupis represented Beck and Smith; Idaho Falls attorney Tim Hopkins represented the GOP officials who were targeted for depositions, including state party Chairman Steve Yates. Beck and Smith had charged that a “secret society” within the Idaho GOP was bent on ousting them from their party positions.

Taggart reports that the judge, who heard the arguments by video conferencing while the attorneys appeared in the courtroom, said he thought the Idaho Supreme Court would side with the argument that pre-litigation depositions are only used to preserve testimony, as in cases in which someone is dying, sick or leaving the country, as opposed to Beck and Smith’s arguments that they can be used for the purpose of determining whom to sue.

KIFI/KIDK TV in Idaho Falls has a full report here, including a link to the unsuccessful petition for the depositions.