· Helena Independent Record · By Hunter Pauli · From the Border Crossing Law Firm media archive.
The Helena Independent Record reports that Audemio Orozco-Ramirez and Jefferson County entered settlement talks before trial in his jail sexual-assault case. The article recounts his transfer across Montana, placement in a jail pod with violent offenders, language barriers, missing surveillance footage, and Shahid Haque's criticism of the county's investigation.
The conference followed years of work to move the case beyond the county's conclusion that no crime occurred. It created the first opportunity for an independent federal process to weigh the strength and risk of both sides' positions.