From the June 1999 Idaho Observer:


Woodward sentencing indicated familiar relationship with Harden

BONNERS FERRY -- On May 24, 1999, Joyce Woodward, who has accused Mark Tyler of kidnapping and raping her when all of the evidence indicates that Tyler is innocent of those heinous crimes, was sentenced for the commission of what appears to be her fourth and fifth DUIs -- two of them within a month of each other.

“Judge Harden ruled that Woodward must pay “a $917.50 fine + court costs of $82.50 -- and then he suspended $500 of this,” commented Ingri Cassel who, much to the obvious chagrin of Woodward, was present at Woodward's second DUI sentencing in as many weeks with investigator Geoff Palmer, Fran Tyler and two other witnesses.

According to at least four of the witnesses, Harden seemed nervous and “red faced” over their presence in the courtroom for Woodward's sentencing. The witnesses also noticed that Harden was patient and nice to Woodward, a known dealer and abuser of controlled substances. In Woodward's previous sentencing, Tyler reported that Harden addressed her by her first name with what was described as comfortable familiarity.

“Then he required that she be on two years probation: One year legal probation of 180 days, 90 days suspended, 90 days probation and 180 days of her driver's license being suspended. At her probation officer's discretion, she is to do a rehabilitation program and get drug and alcohol counseling. She was encouraged by Judge Harden to take advantage of drug and alcohol counseling but, legally, it was left to the probation officer's discretion. She is to spend 50 days in jail on work release with it being reduced to 45 days based on good behavior,” explained Cassel.

According to Woodward's three-year driving record obtained from the State of Idaho Transportation Department in Boise, her license was suspended from 4/16/99 to 7/15/99 for the DUI she was arrested for on 3/17/99. At that time she was also cited for failure to provide proof of liability insurance and the suspension of her driver's license was extended to 5/2/00.

Woodward's St. Patrick's Day, 1999, DUI arrest came after police had been called when she arrived, obviously intoxicated, to pick up a woman who had just seen her probation officer. “When the probation officer noted that Woodward got behind the wheel and proceeded to drive away, she called 911,” wrote Cassel in her notes that day.

According to the witnesses, except for themselves, Woodward was the only person in the courtroom besides Judge Harden, the bailiff and the court reporter,” remembers Cassel.

Witnesses concur that the court reporter was on time while Woodward, Judge Harden and the bailiff were outside the courtroom having a private consultation. Woodward then entered the courtroom four minutes late followed by Zielinski and then Judge Harden.

“There was no prosecutor and Woodward was not represented by counsel,” noted Mrs. Tyler who found it odd that somebody who is being sentenced for her fifth DUI would not be worthy of prosecution by the state and was herself so unconcerned about her fate that she was not at least represented by a public defender.

Tyler remembers that Woodward drove herself to court for her first sentencing while her license was suspended.

Under Idaho state law, three DUIs within five years is a felony and punishable by up to five years in prison, fines of up to $5,000 and a driver's license may be suspended for a maximum five years.

Judge Harden read the charges brought before the court (DUI) but did not elaborate that her driving privileges had been suspended.

Woodward briefly pleaded her case for one minute making an excuse for her behavior based on the amount of stress she was under due to being harassed and intimidated publicly, alluding to The Idaho Observer's coverage of the bogus rape and kidnapping case she has against Mark Tyler. “Woodward's excuse for driving while intoxicated is absurd because her arrest came before this case was publicly known,” commented Mrs. Tyler.

After Woodward pleaded her case, the court reporter was asked by Judge Harden to retrieve some additional court documents that were not present. She left the courtroom to apparently retrieve another file. “At this point the bailiff went up to the bench and had a private conversation with Judge Harden. The court reporter returned five minutes later at 2:45 p.m. with another file which she handed to the judge. He spent another five minutes hurriedly writing what I would surmise to be her sentencing. We all thought it strange that no one else was present at this time except for the bailiff, judge, court reporter and the defendant,” said Cassel.

Harden gave her no further punishment based on her driving without a driver's license or driving without proof of liability insurance.

Woodward was given 45 days in jail with work release and two years probation.

Other people, including the witnesses at Woodward's sentencing, have seen Judge Harden hand down extremely stiff penalties for DUI offenses as a rule. Harden forces nearly everybody else into the full gamut of DUI counseling programs.

A man who was being sentenced for his second DUI in 12 years immediately prior to Woodward's sentencing, was reportedly harshly tongue lashed by Harden and was given the maximum penalties allowed under law.



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