In brief: ndecent exposure charges dropped

Spokane County prosecutors have dropped indecent exposure charges against a man accused of flashing employees at a Starbucks drive-up window in Airway Heights, after witnesses gave inconsistent accounts of what happened on Jan. 27.

According to an order of dismissal signed Friday by District Court Judge Patricia Connolly Walker, three witnesses at first told Spokane County sheriff’s deputies that Douglas J. Dibiasi, 48, exposed himself at the drive-up window. When the witnesses were interviewed under oath in court-ordered depositions, “it was an entirely different story,” said Richard Wall, Dibiasi’s attorney.

They denied ever seeing Dibiasi expose himself at the window, and an investigation discounted reports that the alleged incident was caught on video, according to the dismissal.

Wall said his client never told sheriff’s deputies the alleged exposure was a joke, as previously reported in The Spokesman-Review.

Dibiasi also passed a polygraph test.

Deputy Prosecutor Brian O’Brien said the case was an example of extreme miscommunication. At the end, “my case didn’t look the same, in any manner, than it did when it came into the office,” he said.

Dibiasi is considering at least one lawsuit, Wall said. “He’s been quite upset about this.”

– Nick Eaton

Coeur d’Alene

E-mails won’t be released for weeks

E-mails exchanged between Kootenai County Prosecutor Bill Douglas and former employee Marina Kalani likely won’t be released this month.

The clerk’s office for the Idaho Supreme Court said Friday the justices will not take any action in the public records case until after June 25.

The court ruled May 4 that e-mails Douglas exchanged with Kalani were public records. The Spokesman-Review sued in 2005 to obtain e-mails Kalani, the former coordinator of the county’s juvenile drug court, exchanged with Douglas following the program’s demise under financial scrutiny.

Kalani initially filed a motion for rehearing on the Supreme Court’s decision but withdrew it on Monday.

The case is being delayed for 14 days in case anyone objects to Kalani withdrawing the motion.

– Taryn Brodwater

Property tax payments are due Wednesday

Kootenai County property owners have until Wednesday to pay their property tax bills.

Yet about 5,600 property owners didn’t get their tax bill until Friday because of a glitch in the county’s new software system and printing problems. That’s a small percentage of the county’s 92,000 taxable parcels, said Treasurer Tom Malzahn.

He expects to get a few complaints, but the county is willing to work with property owners who have concerns.

Tax bills normally go out in November, and the first half of the payment is due by Dec. 20. By law, property owners have until June 20 to pay the second half.

Property owners also didn’t receive a reminder from the county this year because of computer and timing problems.

Malzahn said a letter that went out with property tax assessments earlier this year inadvertently mentioned the reminder notices that were never sent.

The treasurer’s office in Coeur d’Alene, 451 Government Way, has extended hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mailed payments must be postmarked by Wednesday.

Property owners also can drop off payments in the lobby of any of the US Bank locations in Coeur d’Alene, Hayden and Post Falls.

For information, call (208) 446-1005.

– Erica Curless