Candidate faces court hearing

A lawyer running for Kootenai County District Court judge is facing contempt of court charges for missing a scheduled hearing, but Rami Amaro said Monday the incident was a misunderstanding.

At issue is an order by county Magistrate Judge Benjamin R. Simpson, who has called Amaro and her client, Cheryl Pannell, to appear next Monday to explain why they didn’t show up for a March 23 hearing in Pannell’s divorce and custody case. Amaro said Monday she had filed appropriate papers to postpone the hearing.

Court documents show that both Amaro and the lawyer representing Pannell’s ex-husband, Mark Pannell, had filed papers saying they couldn’t make the March 23 hearing because of previously scheduled vacations.

Amaro said she was going to Hawaii with her family; lawyer David W. Lohman planned to take his children to Belize and Guatemala, documents indicate. Both lawyers requested that the date be rescheduled.

Simpson, however, apparently never approved Lohman’s motion. When the date arrived, Lohman sent a substitute attorney to the hearing, but Amaro’s spot was vacant.

That prompted Simpson to order both Amaro and her client to a new hearing to explain why they shouldn’t be held in contempt of court. Under Idaho code, the judge has the discretion to impose fines or jail time for contempt violations.

On Monday, Amaro said that Simpson’s action was uncommon.

“I’ve been in court many, many times when the attorney hasn’t shown up,” she said, adding that she never has missed a court hearing in her career.

Amaro said she expected Simpson to sign the order continuing the case, as is common practice. If she had known he hadn’t signed it, she would have sent a substitute lawyer.

Simpson did not return calls about the issue Monday.