Blumenauer waives preliminary hearing, arraignment in February

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

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

Court documents indicate the victim's 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.