Elton guilty in harassment case
Jury finds actions against Shogan, Cowles not felonies
A jury on Friday convicted a Spokane man of two counts of misdemeanor harassment against Spokane City Council President Joe Shogan and Betsy Cowles, chairwoman of the company that owns The Spokesman-Review.
The jury of eight men and four women ruled that while David H. Elton, 44, harassed Shogan and Cowles, his actions did not make the two legitimately fear for their lives and thus was not a felony.
Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Dale Nagy, who had asked for a conviction for felony harassment-threats to kill, said jurors did their jobs.
“That’s what the system’s all about,” he said.
Elton’s lawyer, Mark Hodgson, said he doesn’t believe Elton’s conduct rose to the level of harassment against Shogan, who was not listed in an e-mail Elton sent to acquaintances in February 2009 listing seven people he wanted to kill. Cowles was included on the list. Elton, a former Spokane County commission candidate, didn’t send the e-mail to either victim; they learned of them through third parties.
“I think it was probably a just verdict,” Hodgson said. He said he was particularly pleased jurors ruled neither Shogan nor Cowles had reason to fear for their lives.
“That’s always been our position, that there was never a true threat to kill,” Hodgson said.
Elton was arrested in February 2009 after sending an e-mail in which he wrote, “That is the crux of the problem, I want to murder the following people,” and listed seven names, including Cowles and her brother, Spokesman-Review Publisher Stacey Cowles.
Elton has said the e-mail, which began “Comedy below,” was a joke.
Elton had sent another e-mail in December 2008 in which he mentioned Shogan.
Jurors deliberated for more than a day before reaching the verdict about noon Friday.
Elton faces up to a year in jail when he’s sentenced Oct. 27. He’s already served 16 days.
He also faces a second trial for alleged threats made to his ex-wife, Robin Stewart.