Joliet Mayor Charged With Assault
Joliet Mayor Dakota Mitchem was arrested on December 17 after Carbon County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a disturbance at a residence in Joliet. He is currently charged in Carbon County District Court with one count of felony assault with a weapon. After the Honorable Jackie L. Schara, Judge for the Town of Joliet, recused herself, Mitchem was brought before the Honorable Raphael He Does It, Judge for the City of Red Lodge, where he was initially charged on a Partner, Family Member Assault (PFMA) charge. The charging documents for Municipal Court state: “A criminal history check of Dakota showed no prior arrests or convictions for Partner or Family Member Assault making this a first offense violation.” He is currently out on bond of $100,000 with GPS monitoring and other restrictions including not possessing firearms or other weapons. The investigation is in its early stages and may result in further or reduced charges.
According to District Court documents filed on December 18, it is alleged that on or about December 17, Mitchem committed the offense of felony assault with a weapon, in that he purposely or knowingly caused “reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury in another by use of a weapon or what reasonably appears to be a weapon.” Specifically, he is accused of producing a handgun and putting it under the alleged victim’s chin causing her to fear for her life. If found guilty of this charge, Mitchem faces imprisonment in the state prison for a term not to exceed 20 years or a fine of not more than $50,000, or both. In addition, if the victim of the assault is a partner or family member, he will be required to pay for and complete a counseling assessment.
Mitchem could not be reached for comment by the time of publication. County Attorney Alex Nixon had no information beyond that presented in Court documents.
The next scheduled court date for this matter is set for January 3.
The above charges are only allegations and Mitchem is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty in a court of law.
If you or someone you know is in an unhealthy relationship or even if you just have questions, DSVS’s trained volunteers and advocates are available to help. Their helpline is free, confidential, and staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call them at 406-425-2222.