Trial slated for Aug. 6–9
By Eric Valentine
The former Bellevue marshal and Lincoln County sheriff embattled with seven felony charges, including two counts of rape of a child 16 or 17 years of age, says he’s not guilty. That was the formal plea of Rene Rodriguez on Monday at his plea hearing and arraignment in front of Blaine County 5th District Court Judge Ned C. Williamson. The case is now slated to go to trial Aug. 6 in what prosecution and defense lawyers predict will take three to four days to complete.
Rodriguez appeared in court Monday for the first time in this case without shackles and county jail garb, instead wearing a navy blue suit after posting a $100,000 bond. Williamson agreed to lower bail from $500,000 to $100,000 at an April 15 hearing.
In addition to making his “not guilty” plea Monday, Rodriguez was asking the court to remove a no-contact order placed on him preventing him from meeting with and speaking to his four biological children. Through his public defender, Cheri Hicks, Rodriguez claimed his children want to see their father and text-message their father.
Deputy Attorney General Kristina Schindele said Rodriguez had already violated the court order when he, allegedly, told his biological children their older adopted sister made these allegations and told his 13-year-old daughter with developmental disabilities that “bad people in Shoshone” want him to go to prison. Schindele also said Rodriguez’s ex-wife claimed one of the children had spent the night in the same bed as their father. Although there was no accusation of physical inappropriateness, Schindele said it showed a potential lack of judgment by Rodriguez.
Judge Williamson denied Rodriguez’s request, for now. Williamson said the court could revisit the matter if and when Rodriguez’s defense could provide detailed information about the supervising adult and the condition of the home where Rodriguez and his kids would visit. The judge directed Hicks to present the information at a future hearing when ready and offered to issue a court order if necessary for an agency such as the Department of Health & Welfare to conduct a thorough evaluation.
“I want to make sure it’s going to be a healthy and safe visitation,” Williamson said.
Rodriguez is facing up to life in prison if found guilty. The felony counts are:
Sexual abuse of a minor under 16 years of age
Lewd conduct with a child under 16 years of age (4 counts)
Rape of a victim who is 16 or 17 years of age and perpetrator is 3 years or more older than the victim (2 counts)