June 8, 2016
From IdahoCountyFreePress.com
Paul R. Cortez faced justice Monday in District Court. Judge Gregory FitzMaurice handed down a stiffer sentence than had been contemplated last time Cortez was in court for having shot and killed a bighorn sheep in Salmon River country last November.
In April, Cortez pleaded guilty under a Rule 11 agreement under which the state agreed to drop other charges he was facing. The deal had envisioned Cortez spending 15 days in jail, but FitzMaurice thought that sentence would have been too light. He doubled it, to 30 days.
Cortez asked FitzMaurice not to revoke his hunting privileges permanently, but the judge handed down a lifetime ban, saying: “The killing of animals, especially rare animals, has serious consequences in this state.”
However, in light of favorable findings of a presentencing review, Cortez will be able to mix his time behind bars with work release while serving a total of 30 days in county jail before the end of this calendar year.