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Mike Smith

Jury finds youth hockey coach guilty in Butte, Flathead County sexual assault trial

Jurors deliberated about three hours Friday before finding a youth hockey coach guilty of sexually assaulting three young boys in Butte and Flathead County. Jami Leslie James was found guilty on all six charges of sexual intercourse without consent and faces up to 100 years in prison on each count.

At trial, two more alleged victims say Montana youth hockey coach sexually assaulted them

Two additional boys told jurors Wednesday that Jami James sexually assaulted them when he was their youth hockey coach, describing the same acts that another boy testified about this week. One boy said Wednesday that James sexually assaulted him on three occasions — once at James’ house in Columbia Falls, once

Alleged victim takes the stand in Butte hockey coach sexual assault trial

A boy told jurors Tuesday that Jami James sexually assaulted him on two occasions when he was 8 years old and James was his youth hockey coach. The boy said one assault took place at a hotel in Butte, where a hockey camp was being held, and the other happened

Police make 39 arrests in Butte area over weekend and St. Patrick's Day

Police and state troopers made 39 arrests in Butte-Silver Bow County from Friday through the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Butte on Monday, more than half of them for DUIs, Sheriff Ed Lester said Tuesday. There were 24 DUI arrests alone and even though a few involved accidents,

Family sues county, coroner over 'decomposition and degradation' of Butte man's body

A Missoula law firm has followed through on earlier threats and sued Butte-Silver Bow County and its coroner over allegations it allowed a man’s body to suffer “excessive decomposition and degradation” that compromised a medical exam. The family of 32-year-old Caleb Boelman filed the lawsuit this

Butte High School levy fails by nine votes in recount

Three separate votes, three different results. A proposed property tax levy for Butte High School tied on election night May 7, passed by three votes when provisional ballots were counted six days later, and on Friday, failed by nine votes in a formal recount. Three trustees for the Butte School

Girl raped, impregnated at age 11 sues Montana child protection agency

A girl who was raped by her mother’s live-in boyfriend and gave birth at age 12 as result was returned to his home anyway by Montana’s child protection agency and had to live there for months and share his bed, a lawsuit alleges. The man, William Thomas