May 16, 2016 at 6:27 p.m.
MHLT school board member facing misdemeanor charges
MHLT school board member facing misdemeanor charges
By Jamie Taylor-jamie@rivernewsonline.com
The battery and disorderly conduct charges include the domestic abuse enhancer.
According to the criminal complaint, Seidel had an altercation with a female friend of her ex-husband May 8 during a child custody exchange.
The investigating deputy's report states Seidel advised police her ex-spouse did not return their children to her until about 5 p.m., about eight hours after they were due for Mother's Day placement with her.
After they arrived at her home, Seidel told the deputy she started loading boxes of her ex-husband's possessions into his vehicle when he allegedly accused her of stealing some of the items.
As he and his friend were getting into their vehicle to leave, the report states the ex-husband refused to roll down the window and take a ceramic frog from her, so she threw it against his vehicle, shattering it. The man then started backing down the driveway as the friend filmed the incident on her cellphone from the passenger seat. According to the report, Seidel chased the car down, opened the passenger side door, took the phone from the woman, and threw it into the woods. At this point, Seidel claimed her ex-husband got out of the vehicle and pushed her to the ground.
The ex-husband and his friend told the investigating officers a somewhat different story of what happened after Seidel threw the woman's phone to the driveway surface, shattering it.
The alleged victim said the two got into a "cat fight" after Seidel smashed the phone, as Seidel went after the woman. The alleged victim had blood on her and there was blood and scratches on the outside and inside of the vehicle, the report states.
After evaluating all of the evidence and statements, deputies concluded Seidel had been the primary aggressor in the altercation. She was arrested and transported to the Oneida County Jail. In her report, the deputy states she could smell intoxicants on Seidel as she was being taken into custody.
At her initial appearance before circuit judge Patrick O'Melia May 9, Seidel was given a $1,000 signature bond with conditions she not have contact with the alleged victim or her ex-husband, except to exchange their children in a public place. She entered a not guilty plea to the charges and was given a pre-trial conference date of June 28.
Each charge she faces carries a maximum of nine months in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
Seidel was first elected to the MHLT school board in April 2010 and was recently re-elected to another term.
Jamie Taylor may be reached at jtaylor@ lakelandtimes.com.
Comments:
You must login to comment.