Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck News - Blunt's attorney wants trial moved

Blunt's attorney wants trial moved

Oct 29, 2008 - 06:57:42 CDT

By CRYSTALR. REID
Bismarck Tribune

An attorney says his high profile client -former workers' compensation director Sandy Blunt -won't receive a fair trial in Burleigh County due to media attention.

But the state's attorney's office says the attention has been extensive statewide, not only in Burleigh County.

That's just a taste of the two-month exchange of court briefs between attorney Michael Hoffman and the Burleigh County State's Attorney's Office since felony charges were reinstated against Blunt, former executive for the embattled Workforce Safety and Insurance, for allegedly misspending more than $18,000, split into a Class B felony and a Class C felony.

At the core of the arguments have been requests to transfer the case to Cass County and requests to deny amended information to the charges.

The amended information has to do with about $200,000 in alleged misspent funds, including $150,000 given to an organization in the form of a grant that may not have existed, payment of sick leave to a healthy person and failing to collect relocation expenses from an employee who quit early, according to briefs.

Hoffman has said this addition of evidence on Blunt's Class B felony, which initially included $11,484.29 of expenditures for gift certificates and other expenses, should not apply to current charges because Blunt was not fairly informed of this information when the charges were filed.

Assistant Burleigh County State's Attorney Lloyd Suhr said it's additional evidence in support of the claims and that another charge will not be filed.

There were two requests for transfer, citing an ad and stories in the Bismarck Tribune.

"It is reasonably foreseeable that the sensationalism in regard to defendant will only continue up to and including the time of his trial,"Hoffman wrote in his brief.

The ad used by the Bismarck Tribune featured a headshot of Blunt and a slogan about coverage of local news. The second brief cited several articles, written by Associated Press Writer Dale Wetzel, which were featured on the front page or on the Dakota front page in the Tribune.

Editor John Irby defended the ads and the Tribune's coverage.

"Idon't believe the ad was sensational, nor do I believe that we sensationalize news coverage,"he said.

Suhr said there's been similar coverage across the state.

"There really isn't any real argument that he's going to get any less fair trial here than elsewhere," Suhr said."He's going to get as fair of a trial here."

The trial is scheduled for Dec. 15 in front of South Central District Judge BruceRomanick; the charges are for two felony counts of misallocation of public funds, charges which were initially overturned in a preliminary hearing, where a judge decides if the case should go to trial. The North Dakota Supreme Court reversed that ruling and Blunt entered not guiltypleas to the charges in August.

(Reach reporter Crystal R. Reid at 250-8261 or crystal.reid@;bismarcktribune.com.)

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Comments

Frank wrote on Oct 29, 2008 8:31 PM:

" Funny: That's the problem. The board is tucking tails and covering their own behinds. If people left WSI because of Blunt, maybe they shouldn't have been there in the first place. Bosses don't give employees a "trial". Sally believes Blunt did things because he was arrogant. I believe someone on the board told him it was alright. Who knows, this might never go to trial if enough people start getting nervous about what could come out in court. "

leo wrote on Oct 29, 2008 7:39 PM:

" to Ben

Are you inferring that the people of North Dakota have a history of smearing the name of a good person just for the heck of it? I can't really think of the last time that the people of North Dakota took the time to do this! Are you absolutely sure you're not from some place other than North Dakota? I don't think North Dakotans think they are the "Great People" you claim them to be. We sort of think we're a fair-minded group that determines what we think by what information we have to make that choice. "

Ben wrote on Oct 29, 2008 1:35 PM:

" Right on, Hugo! The bias in the news coverage about this whole WSI scenerio is getting sickening. How could anyone get a fair trial when Blunt was constantly smeared by the public and media! I might add mostly by ignorant people who had no clue about the whole situation, only what their measly small minds could conjere up. I do not know Blunt, but enough already of this relentless saga.
Really, why should we be surprised? This is what the Great People of this state pride themselves in......... "

funny wrote on Oct 29, 2008 1:06 PM:

" What about all the people Blunt ran out of WSI did he give them a fair "trial" I don't think so. But now when the shoe is on the other foot he wants eveerything to be impartial. Give me a break. Blunt and the board need to suck it up admit waht they did was wrong face their punishment and stop with the whining. "

Sally wrote on Oct 29, 2008 12:46 PM:

" To Frank:

Blunt thought he had the authority to do whatever he wanted. Check the board minutes. There was no approval of a $150 k expenditure for a program that didn't exist. Check Blunt's email to WSI concerning this matter at www.northdecoder.com. Blunt says it couldn't have been a crime because there was no program. "

hugo wrote on Oct 29, 2008 11:42 AM:

" i think with bismarck's redneck attitude along with the tribune fueling their ignorance, hoffman is justified in doing so. "

Frank wrote on Oct 29, 2008 11:16 AM:

" The ad wasn't sensational??!! What else could it have been? The Trib hasn't printed anything good about Blunt since this charade started. I hope everyone in the jury pool saw that ad. Didn't the board of WSI have to approve expenditures of $150k? I can't believe Blunt had a blank check to spend any money he deemed fit without board approval. When is the prosecutor going to charge the board with misspending state monies? What a joke. "

okay... wrote on Oct 29, 2008 8:05 AM:

" so, move the trial to Russia "

to Odd wrote on Oct 29, 2008 8:04 AM:

" They have legal counsel but do they use them is the real question. "

Victor wrote on Oct 29, 2008 7:50 AM:

" Its funny that Blunt's attorney also did not include the negative publicity that Blunt has received from SCates and his publication. I have felt all along that Cates was doing this for this argument alone. If the trial is moved to Fargo, it is my understanding that a conservative talk show host has been playing the Blunt sympathy card down there, so maybe that is their plan. "

Odd wrote on Oct 29, 2008 6:18 AM:

" Does the Tribune have legal counsel that they run things past in relation to those news stories that are considered hot potatoe items to make sure they are not doing anything that could cause controversy down the road? "

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