Dinning arrested on assault charge

Sarah Dinning, local business owner and secretary/treasurer of Cabinet Peaks Medical Center’s board of trustees, was arrested Dec. 4 on a charge of misdemeanor assault.

According to charging documents filed with Libby City Court, Dinning “purposely and knowingly made physical contact with the reporting party by punching her in the side of the head several times.”

The report also indicates the incident took place at the office of local dentist Richard Wood, 271 E. 2nd St. in Libby, where both parties involved are employed.

Dinning’s attorney, Jay Forsyth of Libby, entered a plea of not guilty on Dec. 9 and requested a jury trial. The omnibus hearing, in which requests for discovery, preliminary motions and other procedural issues are addressed, is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2015, with a tentative trial date set for Feb. 19.

The misdemeanor charge, filed under Montana Code Annotated 45-5-201, carries a potential penalty of up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $500.

Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, through Marketing Director Kate Stephens, declined to comment. Board of trustees’ chairman Dr. Steve Sorenson also declined to comment, “I don’t become involved in staff or volunteers’ personal lives,” Sorenson said. “Anything I say could be misconstrued.”

Sorenson said he was unaware of any potential ramifications of the arrest with regard to Dinning’s position on the board of trustees. A request for a copy of the board’s bylaws was not fulfilled prior to press time.

Messages left for Dinning, Forsyth and the victim of the alleged attack also went unreturned as of press time.