Idaho Mountain Express: Bar and jail fracases lead to felony charges

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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Bar and jail fracases lead to felony charges

Twin Falls woman faces eight crimes following Halloween disturbances

By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

Lori M. Brutsche-Ely

A former Blaine County woman has been charged with eight crimes—five of them felonies—following alleged altercations on Halloween night at The Mint nightclub in Hailey and later at the Blaine County Jail.

Forty-one-year-old Lori M. Brutsche-Ely, who now lives in Twin Falls, is charged with four felony counts of battery against police officers or jailers, another felony for allegedly destroying jail equipment, and misdemeanor charges of battery, indecent exposure and malicious injury to property.

The defendant was formally charged with the crimes on Nov. 3 in Blaine County Magistrate Court. Bond was set at $100,000 and public defender Douglas Werth was appointed to represent Brutsche-Ely.

She remained incarcerated in Blaine County Jail until Nov. 7, when she was released on $25,000 bond after bail was reduced a day earlier. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 3 p.m. on Nov. 18.

Magistrate Court Judge R. Ted Israel has been disqualified from the case on a motion to remove "without cause" filed by Werth. The case is now in the hands of Magistrate Judge Jason Walker, who normally presides in Camas County.

According to Blaine County court records, Brutsche-Ely was raised in Blaine County and is the "sole provider" of her 7-year-old son in Twin Falls. The records state that she is unemployed and taking courses at College of Southern Idaho. Also, her parents now live in Colorado but have "ties to the community" and have been in contact with Werth regarding the charges against their daughter.

The case against Brutsche-Ely started on Oct. 31 shortly before midnight when Hailey police were called to The Mint nightclub on Main Street on reports of a woman stealing beer from other patrons, exposing herself to the band, trying to start fights and refusing to leave the establishment.

Hailey officer Shelly Pharis wrote in a probable cause affidavit that when she arrived at the bar she found Brutsche-Ely, completely unclothed, outside and in front of the nightclub yelling at Mint security personnel and patrons who had followed the fracas outside.

Brutsche-Ely was charged with four crimes for things she allegedly did in or outside of the Mint. The misdemeanor indecent exposure charge alleges that Brutsche-Ely illegally exposed her private parts in public, while the misdemeanor battery charge alleges that she kicked Mint security man Mike Kimball in the groin.

Two charges of felony battery on a police officer allege that Brutsche-Ely struck Pharis "upon the upper body and face with her hand" and later kicked Pharis "upon her upper body."

Pharis, with the assistance of other officers, was able to transport Brutsche-Ely to jail, where four other crimes allegedly occurred. While in a holding cell, Brutsche-Ely allegedly broke a sprinkler head by striking it with a folded blanket, flooding the cell and causing more than $1,500 in damage.

She also allegedly battered jailer Laura Bowling by "slapping the victim's face and grabbing and pulling her hair." She also allegedly battered Sgt. Curtis Miller.

"We were still trying to control the female when I felt pain in my left shoulder," Miller wrote in a probable cause affidavit. "I looked and observed the woman biting me."

The final charge against Brutsche-Ely, misdemeanor malicious injury to property, alleges that she pulled and broke two chains that Miller was wearing around his neck.

Miller further reported that the bite broke the skin and he required a tetanus shot at St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center.

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There are 28 comments

The comments below are from the readers of mtexpress.com and in no way represent the views of Express Publishing Inc.

Black Diamond

11/18/08 - 20:27

There aren't too many necks of that caliber!

Chon Foor

11/18/08 - 13:25

HAHAHA

OH, WOW

Bertha Fox-Dominguez

11/17/08 - 19:52

My dear Lord, she looks kuckoo! I've just adopted her as the poster child of my web-blog. Please visit it and give me your two cents. - bfd

actor212

11/17/08 - 06:49

She's a walking argument for burqas.

Larry

11/16/08 - 17:57

So she hits the cop a couple of times and it's a felony, but she kicked that poor bouncer in the nuts and it's only a misdemeanor? That's not right.

Yikes

11/14/08 - 12:56

Exposing herself also should have been a felony charge.

Greg

11/14/08 - 08:28

She needs a State straight Jacket, not State booze, nor CIA meth LSD or coke either, She apparently got her share of those items. Maybe she was mad when she woke up and the man she captured via intoxicant devices had chewed off his arm she was laying on and crawled off. Notice the name of this wiley coyote "BRUT-SCHE". Lives in Twin, but no one has proven it is IDAHOAN. Careful, you might not like where "ITS" really from.

Bob Whitehair – Harrisville, WV

11/14/08 - 08:03

Vacationed in Twin Falls a few years ago & sure didn't see any gals like this. She would make a GREAT !! WV gal. Looks like you Idaho people
don't know how to handle a naked drunken woman.
Wrap them in a blanket - tightly. Those felony
charges are ridiculous.

peter wreenkldic

11/14/08 - 07:55

I bet she also wears a leather jeff gordon jacket, has a bright colorer nascar hat and drives a dale jr edition monte carlo. you bunch of white trash trailer parkers!

I M Nocules – St Louis

11/14/08 - 07:25

I'll adopt her and get rid of my rotriler.

crosseyedsal – Elk Grove

11/13/08 - 19:33

Wow...let's just all move to Idaho where all the intellegent, classy people live! America the beautiful...

Reply to crosseyedsal

Arne P. Ryason

11/17/08 - 21:58

We keep people like her around to scare everyone else off. It works!

Dave – Sydney, Australia

11/13/08 - 18:28

The bad news is she has already added to the gene pool...don't let her have any more kids...or beers

Franky

11/13/08 - 16:15

Sarah Palin's mom is just like her daughter! Insane.

N. Chomsky – ketchum

11/13/08 - 14:20

Welcome to Idaho kidz!

John McCain

11/13/08 - 12:49

I blame Obama

Pedro Gonzales

11/13/08 - 11:39

Those are some exposed private parts that I am glad I missed.

Peter Yates

11/13/08 - 09:59

"Mom???"

Greg

11/13/08 - 09:34

What nutbinward did that escape from. The look of insanity...just put it down.

The Wife

11/13/08 - 09:19

That is what ruined my marriage. Figure that one out!

Leon

11/13/08 - 06:14

That's enough of THAT sh*t track!!

Waifer Mint – Shoshone Railroad Tracks

11/13/08 - 05:18

Wait, I thought the Mint was closed.

Well, it just goes to show; never hand a hadron collider to a chick who can't dance politely.

The Cheat – Strongbadia

11/13/08 - 04:42

Meh!

Jim – Norfolk, Va.

11/13/08 - 04:08

A NASCAR fan for sure !

Bhals Dheep

11/13/08 - 03:04

RIIIIIIICOLA!!!!!!

Dick Sakwrinkle

11/13/08 - 02:03

I`m gonna marry that gal!

Dick Sakwrinkle

11/13/08 - 02:02

I`m gonna marry that gal!

Pedro Gonzales

11/12/08 - 12:04

Great mug shot !!!