Pre-Trial hearing cancelled in Adler case
PHILIPSBURG - Neither side filed any pre-trial motions in the case against Granite County Commissioner Scott Adler, removing the need for a hearing Thursday to cover such issues.
The hearing would have been the final preceding before the June 25, 2018 trial date in the case of the State of Montana vs. Scott Adler. Adler faces misdemeanor charges of Official Misconduct and Theft by Embezzlement. Adler has entered a plea of not guilty in the matter.
The charges stem from work that was allegedly done at Adler's home on September 6-7, 2017, which saw Granite County Road Superintendent Paul Alt use county road heavy equipment and employees to haul millings to Adler's home and pave his personal driveway. The project, as outlined in the affidavit filed by Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Varns, states that Adler allegedly had "... two dump trucks ... a county roller, a grader, a water truck and the millings mulcher" on his property that were used to complete the project. This also included the use of four county employees and Alt, as Adler stated October 3, 2017 during a Granite County Commissioner's meeting on the subject.
Adler is in his second term as a Granite County Commissioner, having been reelected in 2016 with no opposition. Should Adler be found guilty of the Official Misconduct charge, he would be forced to permanently resign his position as an elected official.
Adler is represented by attorney Mike Grayson of Anaconda.
NOTE - This story originally ran on QSPNLive.com May 2, 2018.
