Blumenauer faces 7 new charges before arraignment

BONNERS FERRY — Blumenauer faces seven new charges of lewd conduct with a minor under sixteen and faces arraignment on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

William Blumenauer faces a total of 11 charges of lewd conduct with a minor; new leads detail allegations with minors from 2006 until 2010 with children ages 11-to-13-years-old.

The new charges include three counts from 2008 until 2010; four counts took place in 2006 and 2007.

Blumenauer, 46, a Boundary County resident, was arrested initially on Jan. 12 on four counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16.

Blumenauer has waived his right to a preliminary hearing; the case will move on to District Court arraignment under Judge Barbara Buchanan on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

The original four counts indicate the victims' or victims' ages ranged between 5 and 13 years old, with the alleged crimes happening between 2012 and 2019.

A preliminary hearing is best understood as a "trial before the trial," which the judge decides — not if the defendant is "guilty" or "not guilty," but — whether there is enough evidence to force the defendant to stand trial.

Blumenauer’s public defender is Amanda Elaine Findlay, who was recently appointed this year as one of two public defenders for the county.

According to criminaldefenselawyer.com, “A defense attorney would recommend waiving the preliminary hearing only if the evidence against the defendant was substantial or overwhelming, and waiving the hearing would benefit the defendant in a significant way.”

If you waive a preliminary hearing, you allow the prosecution to proceed on criminal charges against you without presenting its evidence.

“If the case is a high profile matter involving a great deal of publicity, an attorney might recommend waiving a preliminary hearing to limit the release of information and evidence to the public,” stated the criminal defense lawyer website.