In brief: Idaho trooper put on leave

A veteran Idaho State Police corporal who testified in the murder trial of a North Idaho man was placed on paid leave after the state Supreme Court threw out the conviction, citing the likelihood that the officer committed perjury.

Idaho State Police issued a news release Tuesday saying Cpl. Fred Rice was put on paid administrative leave after the Supreme Court ruled Friday that Rice’s testimony contradicted testimony on accident reconstruction he had given in other cases. An internal investigation is under way.

Rice, who has been employed with ISP since 1983, was a witness in the trial of Jonathan Wade Ellington, of Hayden. Ellington was sentenced to 25 years in prison for second-degree murder and 15 years each on two counts of aggravated battery charges for running over Vonette Lee Larsen.

The high court also cited prosecutorial misconduct when throwing out the conviction.

Staff reports

Jail jammed for holiday

The three-day holiday weekend brought so many inmates to the Spokane County Jail that staff began releasing some misdemeanor suspects after booking Tuesday.

The jail was designed to hold 462 inmates. The jail limits booking if the population exceeds 620 for more than 24 hours. That happened Tuesday morning, Sgt. Dave Reagan said in a news release.

The population was expected to decrease after suspects appeared in court.

As the jail population boomed Sunday night, deputies dealt with more than 20 inmates angered when a deputy turned out lights early.

The inmates, among 46 assigned to the area, began kicking and pounding on cell doors and trying to flood their cells. Deputies pepper-sprayed one after he refused to be handcuffed, Reagan said.

The cells remained locked down Tuesday as staff investigated the incident.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Five sought in attack, robbery

Coeur d’Alene police detectives are working to identify five males who beat and robbed three teenagers on Tubbs Hill about 8:30 p.m. Monday.

The teenagers reported they met the group in a parking lot and one of the victims knew one of the attackers from school, according to a news release from the Coeur d’Alene police.

As the group was walking up the hill, the five males attacked the victims, beat them up, stole money from their wallets and took their cellphones, the news release said.

The attackers said their phones would be at the bottom of the hill and the victims later retrieved the phones. According to the news release, no serious injuries were reported.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is asking anyone with information to call (208) 769-2363.

Chelsea Bannach