Deputy-leave bill withdrawn
Boise
The Idaho Sheriffs Association has withdrawn a bill that would have required sheriff’s deputies in Idaho counties to take an unpaid leave of absence if they run for sheriff, after it created a firestorm of controversy.
Opponents of HB 223, which was narrowly introduced in the House State Affairs Committee last month, said it would give an unfair advantage for sheriffs and wouldn’t do anything to solve problems that occur when deputies run against their bosses.
“As a lot of people have said, the bill creates real divisiveness,” said Mike Kane, a lawyer and lobbyist for the ISA. “We didn’t have support for it in the committee.”
The bill came in response to problems in at least five county elections across the state, including Boundary and Bonner counties. Kane said sheriffs in those counties cited a breakdown in confidentiality and discipline from their deputies during the election campaign.
The ISA may bring similar legislation to the Legislature before the next sheriff’s election in three years, Kane said.
Caution urged with electric heaters
A small fire in a Coeur d’Alene apartment served as a reminder to be aware of the dangers of electric heaters, said Coeur d’Alene fire inspector Brian Halvorson.
At about 9 a.m. Thursday, Coeur d’Alene Fire Department responded to a fire at an apartment at 3520 N. 15th St. and discovered a plastic bag of clothing that was placed too close to the electric baseboard heater had caught fire, Halvorson said.
No one was home at the time, and a neighbor alerted authorities, Halvorson said. Firefighters put out the fire, but not before it melted a computer and caused smoke damage in the apartment. Halvorson said electric baseboard heaters, space heaters and other heaters must to be kept free and clear of all combustibles.
CdA school board to discuss growth
Coeur d’Alene’s school board will meet Monday for a workshop on dealing with growth.
Business Manager Steve Briggs said the district will share information on projected growth and demographics with the school board. Briggs said the board may also discuss the idea of adjusting the boundaries it shares with the Lakeland and Post Falls school districts and discuss where the district should focus its attention on acquiring new property.
The board workshop will be held at the Midtown Center Meeting Room, 1508 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene.
Sandpoint lawyer resigns from State Bar
A Sandpoint lawyer has chosen to resign from the Idaho State Bar rather than undergo disciplinary proceedings, according to the Idaho State Bar.
The Idaho Supreme Court on Feb. 22 accepted the resignation of Jeffrey S. Smith, who is now unable to practice law in the state of Idaho.
Two years ago, the Idaho State Bar suspended Smith’s license after receiving complaints from five different clients. Smith never admitted or denied the allegations contained in the formal charge, which involved issues of neglect and lack of communication, according to the Idaho State Bar. At the time of the initial complaints, Smith was representing clients both as a court-appointed defense attorney in Boundary County and in his part-time private practice.
Smith has since left the state and is not practicing law, said Julia Crossland, deputy bar counsel.
Formal disciplinary proceedings were pending at the time Smith tendered his resignation last month, according to the press release. He cannot apply again for admission to the state bar for five years, and, if he does apply, would have to overcome “a presumption of unfitness to practice law” and take the Idaho bar exam again, the press release stated.
Witness says teen didn’t shoot parents
Boise
An expert witness in the trial of a teenager accused of shooting her parents told the jury that Sarah Johnson could not have committed the crime.
Michael Howard, a forensic scientist called to the stand Wednesday by the defense, said Johnson was not covered in blood the morning of the shooting and so could not have been the killer.
“This was a very explosive event,” Howard said. “You simply cannot be in that shooting environment and not get blood on you.”
Johnson, who was 16 at the time of the September 2003 killings, is accused of shooting her mother in the head while she slept and then turning the rifle on her father as he came out of the shower.
Prosecutors contend that Sarah killed her parents because they disapproved of her relationship with a 19-year-old man. The trial was moved to Boise.
When investigators analyzed the pajama pants, T-shirt and tops of the socks Johnson was wearing the morning of the shootings, they found no blood, Howard said.
He maintained that whoever shot Diane Johnson would have been covered by a “rain” of blood.
Investigators did find a pink bathrobe in a trash can that belonged to Johnson. That bathrobe had blood spatters on it, and is presumed to have been worn by the shooter during the murders.