K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For September 7th, 2018 – Morning

ATTORNEYS FOR CASPER BUSINESSMAN TONY CERCY, WHO IS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT, WANT NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT TO BLOCK THE PUBLIC FROM KNOWING CERTAIN EVIDENCE THAT MAY NOT BE ADMISSIBLE AT HIS TRIAL IN NOVEMBER.
CERCY'S ATTORNEYS IAN SANDEFER AND PAMELA MACKEY ALSO WANT ANY HEARING ABOUT THAT EVIDENCE OFF LIMITS TO THE MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC.

THIS AND OTHER MOTIONS WERE FILED LAST MONTH IN ANTICIPATION OF THE TRIAL IN THERMOPOLIS BEGINNING NOVEMBER 9TH.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE BLONIGEN SAID THURSDAY HE WILL FILE A RESPONSE BY SEPTEMBER 17.

IN FEBRUARY, A JURY ACQUITTED CERCY OF ONE COUNT OF RAPE AND ONE COUNT OF SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A 20-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AT HIS HOUSE AT ALCOVA LAKE IN JUNE 2017.

DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DANIEL FORGEY DECLARED A MISTRIAL AFTER THE JURY COULD NOT REACH A VERDICT ON THE THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT.

THE FAMILY OF THE WOMAN ASKED, AND BLONIGEN AGREED, TO FILE THAT CHARGE AGAIN.

IN JUNE, FORGEY GRANTED CERCY'S ATTORNEYS' REQUEST TO HOLD THE TRIAL IN HOT SPRINGS COUNTY BECAUSE THEY ARGUED HE COULD NOT GET A FAIR TRIAL IN CASPER BECAUSE OF ALL THE MEDIA COVERAGE DURING THE LAST TRIAL.

THEY ALSO WANT FORGEY TO ORDER ANY OF THE PROSECUTION'S FILINGS SEALED ABOUT EVIDENCE OF OTHER BEHAVIOR SHOWING MOTIVE, OPPORTUNITY, AND INTENT.

CERCY'S ATTORNEYS WROTE IF THE EVIDENCE IS NOT SEALED AND FOUND NOT ADMISSIBLE, THE MEDIA CAN RELAY THAT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC AND UNFAIRLY INFLUENCE POTENTIAL JURORS.
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POLICE AND FIRE-EMS RESPONDED TO A TWO-VEHICLE CRASH WHICH OCCURRED AT THE INTERSECTION OF FIRST AND POPLAR STREETS JUST WEST OF DOWNTOWN CASPER ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

CASPER POLICE SGT. DAN DUNDAS SAID INJURIES WERE MINIMAL AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH. THE DRIVER OF A RED LINCOLN SUV WAS REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE BY FIREFIGHTERS AND PLACED INTO THE BACK OF AN AMBULANCE, WHICH THEN LEFT THE AREA.

IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT ANYONE IN THE SECOND VEHICLE -- A WHITE VOLKSWAGEN SUV -- WAS INJURED, THOUGH POLICE COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY CONFIRM THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED AND/OR INJURED IN THE CRASH.

DUNDAS TOLD K2 RADIO NEWS THAT THE LINCOLN HAD EVIDENTLY BEEN EASTBOUND ON WEST FIRST STREET, AND THE VOLKSWAGEN HAD BEEN WESTBOUND ON WEST FIRST STREET WHEN IT MADE A LEFT-HAND TURN ONTO SOUTHBOUND POPLAR.

WITNESSES COULD NOT CONFIRM FOR POLICE WHICH DRIVER HAD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. BOTH DRIVERS CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. DUNDAS SAID OFFICERS WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH ADDITIONAL WITNESSES TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHAT THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL DISPLAYED AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.
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AN APPARENT HEAD ON COLLISION BETWEEN A COUPLE OF CARS HAD TRAFFIC BACKED UP NEAR 2ND STREET AND COUNTRY CLUB ROAD ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

SGT SCOTT JONES OF THE CASPER PD SAYS IT APPARENTLY INVOLVED A DRUNK DRIVER TRYING TO PASS SEVERAL CARS IN THE CENTER TURN LANE, WHEN HE HIT THE OTHER CAR HEAD ON.

FORTUNATELY, INJURIES WERE MINOR, AND THE ALLEGED DRUNK DRIVER HAS BEEN ARRESTED.

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LARAMIE, WYO. (AP) - AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING AN APPARENT ARSON AT A REPUBLICAN PARTY OFFICE IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING.

THE FIRE EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AT THE ALBANY COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY HEADQUARTERS IN DOWNTOWN LARAMIE CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO APARTMENTS IN THE BUILDING ABOVE THE OFFICE, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR.

THE LARAMIE BOOMERANG REPORTS THAT THE FIRE WAS REPORTED ABOUT 3:25 A.M.

STEVEN MORGAN OF THE LARAMIE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE FIRE IS BEING INVESTIGATED AS ARSON.

MORGAN SAYS BECAUSE THE OFFICE SPACE IS OCCUPIED BY A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION, THE FBI IS BEING CALLED IN TO INVESTIGATE.

ALBANY COUNTY GOP CHAIRMAN BEN MCKAY SAYS A "MAKE AMERICA GREAT" SIGN WAS HANGING IN A WINDOW THAT WAS BROKEN OUT DURING THE INCIDENT.