April 16, 2012 at 5:47 p.m.
City clerk won't face charges following disturbance
According to police reports, officers were called to Carley's residence at approximately 7:46 p.m. April 6 after a man reported Carley was "throwing things around the residence."
When officers arrived on scene they found Carley, 47, struggling to remove her leg from a hole located between her mobile home and some cement steps. After extricating Carley's leg from the hole, officers interviewed both Carley and the reporting party.
The man who called police stated they were inside the residence when Carley started yelling at him. He told police he had no idea what she was upset about but noted she has been "stressed out" lately. He stated he called police because Carley was destroying items in the house. He reported she knocked over the kitchen table, which caused the glass tabletop to shatter all over the kitchen floor, and was throwing things. The man said he did not want to call police but decided he had to because of the damage Carley was causing.
He said he stepped outside to make the phone call and Carley followed him. Her leg became trapped after she accidentally stepped in the hole as she was walking back toward the home, he said.
Carley told police she has been very stressed out about her job, the election and her recent wedding. She admitted to breaking the table and throwing a wine glass but noted the argument between herself and the man never became physical. She denied drinking and a breath test showed no sign of alcohol.
Carley was taken to the hospital for treatment of her injuries and was advised she would be arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct (domestic violence). According to the police report, her response to the arrest was "there goes my job."
Oneida County District Attorney Mike Bloom said Monday he has reviewed the police reports and will not file charges against Carley.
Bloom said the conduct "occurred in a private place and didn't appear to create a disturbance outside of the private place."
"It wasn't directed toward anybody else, in the private place, in an aggressive, abusive or violent way," he added.
Bloom said Carley did not receive any kind of special treatment due to her position with the city.
"As the police department will tell you, there are times when they make a referral for disorderly conduct where we don't prosecute," he said. "If anything, this case got extra scrutiny because of her position."
It's unclear, at this time, whether this incident will have an impact on Carley's employment with the city.
In response to a request for comment, City Administrator Blaine Oborn said Carley was on vacation at the time of the incident and "other staff is filling in as planned."
"The city is in the process of gathering information and will take appropriate action if needed," he added.
Carley's employment status is listed as an agenda item to be discussed during this evening's Rhinelander City Council organizational meeting.
The agenda indicates dismissal, demotion or discipline may be considered. Resignation is also a possibility, according to the agenda.
Carley, then known as Mary Richardson, nearly lost her job three years ago after former City Administrator Bill Bell asked the City Council to remove her from office.
Bell claimed Carley used marijuana while off duty and had untruthful statements when she was confronted about it.
Carley fought vigorously to keep her job and the two sides ultimately came to a compromise. Carley was allowed to stay on but had to agree to AODA (alcohol and other drug abuse) counseling and random drug tests.
The City Council meeting is set for 5:30 p.m.
(Kyle Rogers contributed to this report)
Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].
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