Lawyer: 'A good day for justice'

The lawyer for a girl who sued former Kalispell businessman Dick Dasen Sr. said Monday he got what he wanted, on more than one level.

By CHERY SABOL

The Daily Inter Lake

The lawyer for a girl who sued former Kalispell businessman Dick Dasen Sr. said Monday he got what he wanted, on more than one level.

Monte Beck of Bozeman represented the girl, who is unnamed because she was 16 when she had a sexual encounter with Dasen at a Kalispell apartment. Dasen has been convicted of a variety of sex crimes, but was not convicted of the felony charge related to his activity with her.

Beck asked a federal jury in Missoula to award the girl $2 million in punitive damages - the amount of money Dasen allegedly spent on women for sex over the past few years. Jurors deliberated for less than two hours Monday and gave the girl what Beck requested. On Friday, the same jury awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages to the girl.

Beck, who had previously been under a gag order in the case, said the jury's verdict "vindicated her and validated her rights."

However, collecting the jury's award may be difficult.

Dasen testified that his net worth is measured in negative numbers now. The state Department of Revenue is pursuing him for about $800,000 it says he owes in unpaid income taxes. He also reportedly owes federal taxes and is paying for an appeal in his criminal case.

Beck isn't convinced that Dasen is destitute.

He believes that Dasen transferred his money around to shelter it. Beck talks about "$6.8 million that disappeared" in transfers after Dasen was arrested. Among them was allegedly selling a home in Arizona to his wife for $10.

Beck earlier filed a fraud lawsuit in federal court related to Dasen's financial transfers. That was dismissed because of jurisdiction; Beck said he plans to refile the matter in Flathead District Court in a week or so.

He said he believes Dasen diverted money to "reward his business partners at the expense of someone so brutally assaulted." He said Dasen would "rather throw [his money] away or burn it rather than face the reality of what he did to these young people."

It's a daunting prospect to follow where Dasen's money went, he said.

"I don't know if we can unravel it all the way," Beck said.

But even if his client doesn't receive a dime, he's pleased that a jury found that Dasen owes her something.

"The jury found he assaulted and battered her … It is a good day for justice."