A jury trial has been postponed for Christopher D. Pothier, a former Hailey man who has claimed to be a "terrorist for Jesus" and is accused of harassing a former friend with threatening e-mails.
Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Thomas has accused Pothier and defense attorney Douglas Werth of "playing games" by reneging on a plea agreement Tuesday, the day before a trial on a misdemeanor telephone harassment charge was to begin in Twin Falls.
"It appeared that the defendant was going to enter a plea, which would have resolved the trial, and at the last moment changed his mind and demanded a trial," Thomas wrote in a statement to the Idaho Mountain Express.
"Based upon counsel's representations that his client was going to enter a plea, the state called off the out-of-state witnesses," Thomas wrote. "Therefore when the defendant came into court the day before the trial setting and stated he wanted to go forward, the state was unable to get its witnesses here on a one-day notice."
Werth was unavailable for comment Thursday, but according to court records he denied playing games and said he notified the prosecutor's office on Monday that Pothier had changed his mind.
Terms of the tentative plea agreement were not available. Pothier could face up to one year in jail if convicted of telephone harassment.
The charge, which is also applicable to e-mail correspondence, was filed in July following an investigation by the Blaine County Sheriff's Office. Detective Steve Harkins alleged in a probable cause affidavit that Pothier sent four threatening e-mails to the former friend from July 17-18.
"Something is being prepared that is going to strike the fear of God into you, and you will be sorry you ever spoke the things you have against me," Harkins alleged that Pothier wrote. "You have been warned. Hailey has let loose on the streets a terrorist for Jesus, and no one is apparently strong enough to stop him."
At the time, Pothier was facing a felony domestic battery charge for allegedly beating his girlfriend. That charge was dismissed after the woman recanted earlier statements.
Pothier has claimed to be a "prophet for Jesus" in literature he delivered to the Idaho Mountain Express.
The trial was moved to Twin Falls on a motion filed by Werth, who claimed that pretrial publicity would be prejudicial to Pothier in Blaine County. A new trial date has not been set.
Christopher D. Pothier
