A 21-year-old Carey man who was convicted last year of a sex crime against a child was released on probation Wednesday. However, he is still required by a court order to have a written letter of apology published in the Idaho Mountain Express.
Fifth District Court Judge Barry Wood placed Brian Jake Adamson on five years of supervised probation during a brief court hearing Wednesday morning. Adamson was convicted by a jury last August of sexual abuse of a minor child under 16 for having sex with a 13-year-old girl who was a foster child at the time in the home of Adamson's parents.
Adamson previously served a 180-day sentence at the Idaho Department of Correction North Idaho Correctional Facility in Cottonwood, which offers rehabilitation as an alternative to prison. At sentencing in January, Wood also gave Adamson a suspended 10-year prison sentence that can be imposed if the court determines that Adamson has not met the conditions of probation.
Wood acknowledged at a case-review hearing on June 16 that Adamson successfully completed the Cottonwood sentence. However, Wood was displeased after Adamson admitted that he lied to the jury during his trial.
Wood ordered then that he would not release Adamson on probation until a letter of apology had been published in the Express. The letter was submitted to the Express on June 24 but has not yet been published because Express management determined that the letter did not meet criteria for free publication. Instead, Adamson will be required to purchase an advertisement. Newspapers generally charge to publish legal notices.
"Letters to the editor are for issues of public debate and this doesn't meet that requirement," said Express Publisher Pam Morris.
The unpublished letter was shown to the judge at Wednesday's hearing. Wood ordered that publication is still required.
"He has to have the letter published fairly soon or there will be serious consequences to his probation," said Hailey attorney Kevin Cassidy, who was assigned as Adamson's public defender.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
