Post by Okwes on Jan 31, 2006 10:48:39 GMT -5
Tribal judge expected to enter into a plea agreement
Associated Press
www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?
tl=1&display=rednews/2006/01/30/build/wyoming/45-tribal-judge.inc
CASPER -- Tribal Judge Lynda Munnell has filed paperwork to enter
into a plea agreement with the government, but her official change of
plea hearing is not expected to take place until February.
Munnell, also known as Lynda Noah, was arrested in May and charged
with drug trafficking and threatening to kill a Bureau of Indian
Affairs police officer. The 57-year-old had originally entered a plea
of not guilty.
The specifics of her plea agreement will not be made public until the
change of plea hearing, assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Rankin said
Monday. Munnell's attorney, Craig Silva, confirmed Monday that he'd
filed a change of plea motion, but refused to release any details of
the agreement.
Federal officials arrested Munnell and 18 other defendants for their
roles in an alleged drug ring that authorities said provided people
in and around the Wind River Indian Reservation with prescription
pills, marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine.
The change of plea hearing was scheduled for Dec. 16, 2005, but a
continuance was granted to allow Munnell to undergo some medical
procedures.
The motion of continuance said as part of the plea agreement, Munnell
would be incarcerated after the change of plea hearing and it would
be better to get her doctor's appointments out of the way before the
hearing.
Prior to her arrest, Munnell had been serving as a judge for the
Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. Munnell, an Arapaho
member, had been nominated for the post by her tribe.
Associated Press
www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?
tl=1&display=rednews/2006/01/30/build/wyoming/45-tribal-judge.inc
CASPER -- Tribal Judge Lynda Munnell has filed paperwork to enter
into a plea agreement with the government, but her official change of
plea hearing is not expected to take place until February.
Munnell, also known as Lynda Noah, was arrested in May and charged
with drug trafficking and threatening to kill a Bureau of Indian
Affairs police officer. The 57-year-old had originally entered a plea
of not guilty.
The specifics of her plea agreement will not be made public until the
change of plea hearing, assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Rankin said
Monday. Munnell's attorney, Craig Silva, confirmed Monday that he'd
filed a change of plea motion, but refused to release any details of
the agreement.
Federal officials arrested Munnell and 18 other defendants for their
roles in an alleged drug ring that authorities said provided people
in and around the Wind River Indian Reservation with prescription
pills, marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine.
The change of plea hearing was scheduled for Dec. 16, 2005, but a
continuance was granted to allow Munnell to undergo some medical
procedures.
The motion of continuance said as part of the plea agreement, Munnell
would be incarcerated after the change of plea hearing and it would
be better to get her doctor's appointments out of the way before the
hearing.
Prior to her arrest, Munnell had been serving as a judge for the
Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. Munnell, an Arapaho
member, had been nominated for the post by her tribe.