Hot Springs man pleads not guilty

Appearing for his arraignment on Tuesday, Forest Taylor Grant pleaded not guilty to felony charges of partner or family member assault, third or subsequent, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, fourth or subsequent offense. Grant also entered not guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of criminal destruction of/or tampering with a communication device, disorderly conduct, and operating a vehicle not registered. Judge John Mercer set this matter for trial on January 21, 2025.

On August 4, as alleged in the charging documents, Deputy Devin Wegener with the Sanders County Sheriff's Office was advised of a 911 call out of Hot Springs, with a female caller reporting she had been beaten up by her husband, who was intoxicated and had driven away from their residence. As Deputy Wegener was responding, he encountered a matching vehicle driving down Highway 28 toward Plains. When the traffic stop was initiated, the driver, later identified as Grant, exited the vehicle without any direction to do so. Deputy Wegener noticed that Grant was a bit slow to comply with commands, but he didn’t resist being cuffed. Grant stated that he had been attacked by his wife, with Deputy Wegener noticing during the interaction that Grant was showing signs of impairment and smelled of an alcoholic beverage. Grant refused a preliminary breath test and implied consent, claiming he had not been drinking, although he allegedly later told the detention staff he had consumed a shot.

The alleged victim reported that she and her husband had been arguing that afternoon by text. Upon Grant’s return to the home, he allegedly pulled her out of bed by her hair, kicked her, and ripped off her necklace. Managing to escape, the alleged victim was able to get to a neighbor’s home to call 911 when she watched Grant leave in his vehicle. Security video was obtained from Hot Springs Telephone Company, which showed the part of the incident that occurred outside the home, corroborating the events relayed by the alleged victim.

Grant allegedly claimed he was attacked by his wife, but she wasn’t able to hurt him. He stated that he “moved her out of the way” so he could leave, so she shouldn’t have any marks on her body. When Grant was taken to Clark Fork Valley Hospital for a blood draw pursuant to a warrant, Grant is alleged to have become irate and started shouting profanities at the deputies. Further investigation showed that Grant has three previous DUI convictions, as well as two domestic violence/assault four convictions, all out of Washington.