Court finds rape not an accident
Boise The Idaho Supreme Court has overturned a district judge’s ruling that a 17-year-old Albertson’s Inc. employee raped by her store manager suffered an accidental workplace injury and could not sue the grocery giant.
The decision means the teen’s $3.5 million lawsuit filed in 2001 against the company may go forward. The girl and her family claim Albertson’s failed to protect her from inappropriate sexual contact with the manager at a Boise-area store.
In 2000, former Albertson’s assistant store manager Tim Repp pleaded guilty to a felony charge of statutory rape for having intercourse with the girl. At the time, Repp was 38 and the girl, a grocery bagger, was 17. Repp served one year in jail, one year on work release and is currently serving 10 years probation.
The lawsuit claims Albertson’s and its employees did not do enough to investigate allegations of sexual contact between Repp and the girl on store premises and did not tell authorities or the girl’s parents of the allegations. It claims the girl sustained a loss of employment and future earnings because she had to quit her job due to emotional distress.
Albertson’s attorneys had argued that the suit was barred by the Idaho Workers’ Compensation Act, which prevents employees from suing for physical injuries arising from a workplace accident. Attorneys for the girl and her parents argued that her injuries are psychological and therefore are not covered by workers’ compensation.
Man arrested after wife’s shooting
Billings A Billings man accused of shooting his wife in the head before turning the gun on himself in a failed murder-suicide attempt was arrested at the hospital Thursday morning.
Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito said Douglas Mock, 43, was jailed and faces an attempted murder charge. He is expected to make his first court appearance today.
Mock had been hospitalized since Tuesday for treatment of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said police Capt. Dave Hinkel.
Lori Mock, 43, remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday after being shot in the head early Tuesday.
Scholarship to honor slain UI football player
Moscow, Idaho Two University of Idaho teachers are starting a scholarship to honor Eric McMillan, a 19-year-old football player who was fatally shot at his apartment in September.
English instructor Marcia Kmetz said she got the scholarship idea after reading an essay McMillan wrote for her class just before his death. The piece detailed his rough childhood and the death of his former role model – a gang member named K Rock. Seeing K Rock get shot inspired McMillan to change his life, he wrote.
“I like to look at myself in the mirror,” he wrote. “Not because I think I’m sexy or anything, but because I like the man that is reflected back to me. It’s like looking at an unfinished painting.”
Kmetz and another teacher, Jan Johnson, are collecting donations to finance the Eric McMillan Diversity Scholarship, which will be awarded to minority students who overcome social setbacks and give back to their communities.
Man pleads guilty to running escort service
Idaho FallsA South Dakota man faces a maximum 20 years in prison and $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to procurement of prostitution for operating a long-distance escort service that paired prostitutes with clients in Idaho Falls.
Robert S. Grueskin, 36, of Sioux Falls, S.D., is scheduled for sentencing June 30 in 7th District Court and is currently being held in the Bonneville County Jail. On Wednesday he entered a guilty plea to the procurement charge in exchange for prosecutors dropping two other charges of receiving pay for procurement of prostitution and accepting a prostitute’s earnings.