Thomas Clouse

Be careful. On this day when friends often pull practical jokes, remember that sometimes things can backfire – terribly.

Plea deal expected after shooting mistrial

A judge has declared a mistrial in the case against a Spokane Valley man who was facing up to 50 years in prison following an attack on his ex-girlfriend and his former best friend.

The criminal trial began Tuesday for a Spokane Valley man facing a list of charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder, in a case the prosecution presented as an angry, drug-induced ex-lover threatening both his former girlfriend and his former best friend. Don R. Davis, 29, faces a total of 10 charges, including first-degree burglary, drive-by shooting and violation of a no-contact order, in a trial being argued in front of Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque.

The father of domestic terrorism suspect Kevin W. Harpham said he believes his son was set up by someone wanting to pocket the big reward posted by the FBI. “They put out a reward for $20,000, and one of his slimy friends turned him in for the money,” Cecil Harpham, 68, of Kettle Falls, Wash., said Tuesday. “Now, the government won’t admit it to me, but I happen to know it’s true.”

Spokane Police Department detectives used a GPS tracker to solve at least one recent business burglary, and they continue to investigate whether the suspect may have been involved in similar heists. Over the past several weeks, officers have received reports of more than 40 burglaries targeting tattoo shops, hair and nail salons, and other businesses, police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer DeRuwe said.

The father of domestic terrorism suspect Kevin W. Harpham said he believes his son was set up by someone wanting to pocket the big reward posted by the FBI.

Spokane police detectives used a GPS tracker to solve at least one recent business burglary and continue to investigate whether the suspect — who also happens to be a repeat offender — may have been involved in similar heists.

Appellate judges on Thursday rejected South Hill rapist Kevin Coe’s claim that evidence on dozens of sexual attacks shouldn’t have been allowed in his civil commitment trial. Coe had asked the Division III Court of Appeals to undo the civil commitment that’s expected to keep him locked up for the rest of his life. State laws allow the detainment of rapists who are deemed sexually violent predators by juries.

A jury likely will not learn that Otto Zehm was innocent of a crime when he was confronted by a Spokane police officer in a fatal encounter five years ago, federal appeals court judges ruled Thursday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supported a decision by U.S. District Court Judge Fred Van Sickle to exclude from the trial of Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr. the evidence that Zehm had not committed a crime prior to the incident on March 18, 2006.

A Spokane Valley businessman, who converted scrap metal stolen by drug addicts into a cash fortune and a stable of exotic sports cars before being raided by the FBI, was ordered Thursday to forfeit $1.55 million as part of an agreement that avoids prison time. Craig A. Dickson, 46, received a sentence of four years of probation, including one year of home confinement, at a sentencing hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Edward Shea.

A jury likely will not learn that Otto Zehm was innocent of a crime when he was confronted by a Spokane Police officer in a fatal encounter five years ago, federal appeals court judges ruled today.

Appellate judges today rejected South Hill rapist Kevin Coe’s claim that state prosecutors should not have been allowed to present evidence from dozens of sexual attacks that never resulted in charges during the civil commitment trial that put Coe in prison for life.

A judge today sentenced a Spokane man to 7 ½ years in prison after he pleaded guilty to raping two girls in 2006.

A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Kevin W. Harpham on charges stemming from the placement of a bomb along the route of the Unity March on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in downtown Spokane. Harpham, who was arrested March 9 as he drove away from his 10 acres south of Colville, is scheduled to appear at 2:30 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno for an arraignment where he is expected to plead not guilty and receive a trial date.

A federal grand jury today returned an indictment against Kevin W. Harpham, officially charging him with placing the bomb along the planned route of the Unity March on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Federal investigators will present their case against Kevin W. Harpham today to a grand jury in the hopes of obtaining an indictment that will formally charge the Colville man with placing the bomb along the planned route of the Unity March on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Mike Ormsby, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said he did not know when the case will be presented or when to expect a decision from grand jurors. “It will be their decision, not ours,” he said. “We hope to have an indictment before” a hearing scheduled for Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno.

Coeur d’Alene Police are asking for help identifying a man who confronted two children who were riding their bicycles near their home just after noon today.

Appellate judges have handed a defeat to a Spokane Valley lawyer who has fought with Spokane County and state regulators for 19 years over the expansion of his boat dock and building on his Liberty Lake shoreline property. The Division III Court of Appeals on Friday upheld Superior Court Judge Kathleen O’Connor’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Lloyd and Linda Herman against Spokane County and the state of Washington over efforts to enforce shoreline ordinances.

A Spokane jury rejected arguments Thursday that the state’s medical marijuana law allows for commercial dispensaries, convicting a supplier of multiple drug trafficking charges. Scott Q. Shupe, who co-owned one of the first marijuana dispensaries in Spokane, argued the state’s medical marijuana law enables dispensaries to supply card-carrying patients, provided they serve just one patient at a time.

A “joint intelligence bulletin” issued the day federal agents raided the Colville home of Kevin W. Harpham confirms that the bomb planted along the planned route of Spokane’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march was indeed laced with rat poison and may have included a rocket motor igniter. The bomb consisted of a steel pipe with a hole drilled at its base. “The pipe was welded to a roughly cut steel plate,” according to the report, which was posted to a research website Wednesday. The explosive charge was described as black powder, which was contained in a plastic bag.