Rutledge Trial Facing Another Delay

The trial for Richard Lamar Rutledge of Culbertson is being pushed back again.

In March, the trial was postponed from March to July. Rutledge is facing two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of incest.

Since that postponement, Rutledge’s representation has changed. He no longer has public defenders, but instead his family is paying Mary Zemyan to serve as his attorney.

During a hearing in Wolf Point on Wednesday, June 16, Zemyan presented a commitment for examination motion.

Roosevelt County attorney Frank A. Piocos, who saw the motion for the first time during the hearing, said to district judge David Cybulski that he will reply as quickly as he can in order to avoid further delays.

Cybulski set a hearing date for July 14 on the matter, unless if a decision can be made earlier.

Piocos expressed his frustration with the case’s lengthy process. He said Rutledge has now been in the county jail for two and a half years.

“I’ve lost track of how many attorneys he’s had,” Piocos said.

He added that the actual trial will take four to five days, and that expert witnesses will need to be rescheduled. He also said the alleged victims want to put the case behind them.

Zemyan said those concerns don’t have anything to do with the commitment for examination motion.

Cybulski said that he realizes that but “we’ve kicked this can so much, the paint is off. This has to move along.”

The judge added that the county jail has provided Rutledge with free food for too long. Either the state prison or Rutledge need to start paying for the meals soon.