In brief: Idaho fly-in housing development wants jury trial

SANDPOINT – Bonner County officials and the developers of an upscale, fly-in housing development are asking for a jury trial after mediation and arbitration failed.

The Bonner County Daily Bee reported that county officials and officials with Silverwing at Sandpoint filed the joint request last week.

The trial would be held in U.S. District Court in Coeur d’Alene in April.

Court releases real estate mogul

BILLINGS – A federal appeals court ordered the release Wednesday of a real estate mogul who was jailed last week in Montana after being found in contempt of court over his sale of a Mexico resort.

The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes after onetime billionaire and Yellowstone Club founder Tim Blixseth, 64, was jailed last week for not giving U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon a full accounting of a 2011 hotel property sale for $13.8 million.

Blixseth’s attorneys argued that the jailing was unconstitutional because Haddon had not given enough details about what he wanted. Attorney Philip Stillman said Blixseth was “elated” with the ruling and hoped to be home in Washington state by Wednesday afternoon.

A two-judge panel of the 9th Circuit said that Haddon’s incarceration order will be put on hold for 30 days while the judge gives more specific instructions on how Blixseth can comply with his earlier order.