Idaho

ACLU suit claims Idaho’s public defender system violates Sixth Amendment

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a suit contending that Idaho’s system of public defense violates defendants’ Sixth Amendment right to adequate legal representation. The suit (PDF), filed in Idaho federal court, contends Idaho has a “patchwork” public defense system, and a majority of the state’s counties fail to…

Jun 19, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

Will probe of balcony collapse that killed 6 lead to new apartment building standards?

Following a fatal porch collapse in Chicago over a decade ago that killed 13 people and injured dozens more, the city strengthened both its building code and its enforcement procedures. It appears that a similar process may now be underway in Berkeley, California, where a fourth-floor apartment balcony collapse Tuesday…

Jun 18, 2015 1:55 PM CDT

Man pleads guilty to setting fire at lawyer’s home

A man in Idaho Falls, Idaho, has pleaded guilty to first-degree arson for setting a fire at the home of a lawyer who represented his ex-wife in the couple’s divorce. Melvin Savage pleaded guilty on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports, citing information from the Post Register (sub. req.). Police say…

Mar 26, 2015 11:32 AM CDT

Boy, 9, is arrested for failure to appear on gum-stealing charge; prosecutor regrets ‘mistake’

An Idaho prosecutor is expressing regret after his office issued an arrest warrant for a 9-year-old boy who twice failed to appear in court on a charge of stealing a pack of gum. Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh issued a statement saying his office’s decision to issue an arrest…

Jan 13, 2015 6:43 AM CST

Prosecutor’s recitation of ‘Dixie’ leads to overturned conviction

An Idaho appeals court has overturned the conviction of an African American defendant because the prosecutor recited lines from Dixie in her rebuttal closing argument. The Dec. 19 decision (PDF) said defendant James Kirk’s due process and equal protection rights were violated by reference to the song, described by the…

Dec 31, 2014 7:57 AM CST

Same-sex marriage allowed in Idaho after SCOTUS and 9th Circuit lift stays

Gay marriages could begin on Wednesday in Idaho after stays were lifted by the U.S. Supreme Court and then the by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 9th Circuit lifted its stay on Monday before lawyers representing gay couples submitted briefs in opposition to the state’s…

Oct 14, 2014 7:22 AM CDT

9th Circuit strikes down same-sex marriage bans; SCOTUS rejects Idaho’s stay request

Updated: The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled late Tuesday that same-sex marriage bans in Idaho and Nevada are unconstitutional. The Washington Post, the Associated Press and CNN have stories. The court found that the bans violate the rights of same-sex couples to equal protection under the…

Oct 7, 2014 5:24 PM CDT

Homeowner fined for sharing water loses appeal claiming law was unintelligible to the average person

An Idaho man fined $500 for providing water to a neighbor lost an appeal on Monday that claimed the law authorizing the penalty was unintelligible to the average person and an unconstitutional infringement on charitable conduct. The Idaho Court of Appeals ruled against Michael Jay Freitas of Spirit Lake, the…

Aug 13, 2014 2:02 PM CDT

See the video: Both $4 plastic cup of beer and taller $7 version hold the same amount, lawsuit says

A YouTube video which seems to show that a $4 cup of draft beer sold at a hockey game in Boise, Idaho, holds the same amount of brew as a “large” $7 cup was quickly followed by a lawsuit. Four other Idaho Steelheads fans filed suit in state court in…

Mar 13, 2014 3:40 PM CDT

Lesbian may adopt her wife’s children, Idaho Supreme Court says

A lesbian couple married in California has won an adoption battle in Idaho. As a result of an Idaho Supreme Court ruling on Monday, Darcy Drake Simpson will be allowed to pursue the adoption of her spouse’s two children, the Idaho Statesman reports. A magistrate had denied the adoption without…

Feb 11, 2014 5:56 PM CST

Lawyer convicted in failed contract-hit attempt on wife sues defense counsel for malpractice

An Idaho lawyer serving a 50-year federal sentence after being convicted two years ago in what prosecutors described as a failed contract hit attempt on his wife and mother-in-law is now suing his defense lawyers. Edgar Steele, 68, insists, along with his wife, that he is innocent. He has blamed…

Dec 13, 2013 5:00 PM CST

Family sues car dealership, says they were held at gunpoint on mistaken theft claim over BMW loaner

An Idaho family of four has filed suit against an automobile dealership, contending that all were traumatized when they were stopped by sheriff’s officers near Coeur d’Alene and held at gunpoint, along with their dog, because of a mistaken theft report about a loaner BMW. Casey and Sheree Bryntesen sued…

Oct 24, 2013 7:20 PM CDT

Lawyer saves teen client who appeared ready to leap from courthouse roof

An Idaho lawyer says he was acting on instinct when he chased his teen client and grabbed the youth as he appeared ready to leap from the ledge of the courthouse roof in Ada County. Nampa, Idaho, lawyer Ryan Henson tells the Idaho Statesman that he didn’t think of the…

Apr 4, 2013 12:23 PM CDT

Judge Orders Prosecutor and Defendant Into Mediation In Death Penalty Case

A judge overseeing a first-degree murder case in eastern Idaho has ordered the prosecutor and defendant Michael Sparks into mediation, to see if they can resolve the death-penalty case before trial. Sparks’ attorney, Bannock County Public Defender Randy Schulthies, said he was surprised by the Monday order by Sixth District…

Dec 11, 2012 10:08 PM CST

Supreme Court Won’t Consider Ban on Insanity Defense; Dissenters Explain Idaho Law with Wolf Hypo

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the case of an accused murderer who claims he has a constitutional right to an insanity defense. Justice Stephen G. Breyer dissented to the cert denial in an opinion (PDF) joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. The cert petition…

Nov 26, 2012 5:17 PM CST