Featured MT News Stories:
Billings senior thwarts rape attempt
04 Sep 2006 12:00 am
An 82-year-old woman thwarted a rape attempt by biting the man's tongue and then told police she believed the intruder was a former neighbor.
The woman told police she was awakened shortly after midnight by someone who put his tongue down in her mouth. The woman said she bit down on his tongue, and he fled.
She identified the possible suspect because he had visited her the previous evening. She said he asked the woman to pray for him, asked her to rub lotion on his back for a skin condition and asked her opinion on young men dating much older women, court records state.
Group investigating pepperball incident
TRISTAN SCOTT
15 Aug 2006 12:00 am
A Montana civil rights group is investigating the actions of a Missoula County detention officer who last month shot a mentally ill woman five times with a pepperball gun.
The Montana Advocacy Program is a private, nonprofit law firm that promotes the rights of people with disabilities and investigates allegations of abuse or neglect. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the group will either file a lawsuit against the Missoula jail or make public their findings in a published report. Or both.
The organization began its investigation after Missoula Detention Officer Mike Burch was suspended for disseminating a written incident report and details of the shooting to several media organizations, including the Missoulian.
Burch also notified the ACLU of Montana and the FBI, alleging that the conduct of Detention Officer Jason Sorini constituted an excessive use of force.
Meanwhile, Burch's job remains in limbo, awaiting the outcome of a county review board's internal investigation.
Missoula County Sheriff Mike McMeekin and Deputy County Attorney Mike Sehestedt both say they're unable to decide Burch's fate at the county until the FBI completes a separate investigation into possible civil rights violations.
But according to Jan Caldwell, an FBI spokeswoman, a Missoula agent concluded the investigation late last week and determined there were no civil rights violations.
“That comes as a great surprise to me,” said Alexandra Volkerts, the attorney investigating the incident for the Montana Advocacy Program.
“We are looking into whether or not there was a civil rights violation when the detention officer used the pepperball gun. But we're also looking at all the circumstances leading up to the shooting.”
Volkerts said she is also looking into “a lot of separate incidents” at the Missoula jail. She would not go into detail about the separate incidents, pending the outcome of her investigation, but said former inmates have come forward with complaints of neglect.
Community education meeting planned
10 Aug 2006 12:00 am
Montana Project to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities will sponsor a free community education meeting from noon to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at Bozeman Public Library, 220 E. Lamme.
The gathering hopes to address the disproportionate amount of domestic, sexual, peer and caregiver violence perpetrated against women with disabilities, mental illnesses and chronic health problems in Montana.
According to the Montana Board of Crime Control, more than 33 percent of the reported victims of domestic and sexual violence in the state have some type of disability.
Public service ads promote awareness of sexual assault
Instead of calling upon concerned area residents to walk through town in a candlelight parade and gather for a vigil in recognition of the victims of sexual assault as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, center staff members say they are making a more proactive effort to stop the violence before it starts.
Considering Megan's Law: weigh pros and cons of disclosure when sex offenders live nearby
Recent focus on sex offender registries and notification, paired with increasing accessibility to information regarding sex offenders, has sparked debate about apartment managers' and other real estate professionals' -- including home sellers and residential brokers -- responsibility to inform existing and prospective residents about the presence of convicted sex offenders in communities.
