Grafton man who’s charged with vehicular homicide denied amended charge; documents not filed

GRAFTON, N.D. — A Grafton man accused of driving below the affect, crashing and inflicting the dying of an agriculture affiliation treasurer appeared in courtroom on Friday, Could 5. In the course of the listening to, the choose refused to amend the person’s felony cost to a misdemeanor.

Christopher R. Thompson, 46, was

charged with Class A felony DUI vehicular murder

and Class C felony DUI crash involving damage in November, however the second cost was dismissed in January.

On April 27, a proposed plea settlement was filed within the case. The settlement would amend Thompson’s Class A felony DUI vehicular murder cost to Class A misdemeanor reckless endangerment. Thompson agreed to plead responsible to the amended cost by means of an Alford plea.

Nonetheless, in the course of the listening to, Decide Kari Agotness identified that no movement had been filed to amend the cost.

“There’s nothing telling the courtroom why the state feels it’s applicable to go from an A felony cost to an A misdemeanor cost,” Agotness mentioned.

Thompson’s lawyer, Mark Friese, requested if an oral movement might be delivered in the course of the listening to as an alternative.

“No, I received’t take an oral movement,” mentioned Agotness. “… A part of my obligation as a district courtroom trial choose is to not rubber stamp any settlement. A part of my obligation is to take a look at explanation why agreements are proposed to the courtroom, and whether or not or not (there’s) an administration of justice.”

The state has 14 days to file a movement and, after that, the protection will file a response. Then the case will return to courtroom, however the date hasn’t been set.

In response to an affidavit within the case, Thompson was concerned in a single-vehicle crash on Walsh County Highway 9, about 5 miles east of Edinburg, on Nov. 12.

One of many passengers — 48-year-old Jason Schatzke of Wheatland, North Dakota — died within the crash. Schatzke was treasurer of the Pink River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Affiliation.

There have been 5 different occupants within the automobile.

Thompson informed regulation enforcement he had 5 or 6 drinks all through the evening, the affidavit mentioned.

Thompson was elected as a Walsh County Fee member days earlier than the incident, however didn’t take the place after the crash and his arrest.

If the choose accepts the plea settlement, Thompson can be sentenced to 360 days in custody with 326 days suspended. He has credit score for 4 days, and the remaining 30 can be accomplished by means of digital dwelling monitoring.

Thompson can be on unsupervised probation for 2 years. As a part of his probation, he’d be required to finish a chemical dependency analysis inside 60 days, and comply with by means of with the analysis’s suggestions.