Father Convicted Of Intimidating Custody Witness

Fri., Jan. 29, 1999

A Whitman County jury Thursday convicted Pullman Realtor Dan Antoni of two counts of intimidating a witness stemming from a 1997 custody battle.

The verdict came at about 7:45 p.m. from the eight-man, four-woman jury in Whitman County Superior Court. Antoni was acquitted on a third count. The jury was hung on a fourth.

The charges stem from child custody and modification hearings in 1997 during which Colfax attorney Leslie Cloaninger was appointed guardian ad litem for Antoni’s daughter.

Antoni was accused of harassing Cloaninger, including making offensive comments, threatening to file frivolous state Bar Association complaints and refusing to sign court-ordered papers, Whitman County Prosecutor James Kaufman said.

Antoni was released on his own recognizance. Sentencing is scheduled for next week.

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