Dasen trial postponed until April

The Daily Inter Lake

District Judge Stewart Stadler has postponed until April 25 the trial date for Kalispell businessman Dick Dasen Sr.

Dasen's trial on prostitution-related charges had been scheduled to begin Jan. 24.

But last week Dasen's attorney, George Best, asked Stadler to delay that for three months to give him time to interview more witnesses.

Stadler agreed to Best's request on Friday.

He set a pretrial conference for March 28, when both sides are to submit a list of witnesses and evidence.

Jury summonses will go out to 300 potential jurors on March 30.

Of those, the first 150 will be called to appear for jury selection on April 25. The remaining 150 will be asked to report on April 26.

The trial is expected to last four to six weeks.

Dasen has been charged with 10 counts of prostitution and aggravated promotion of prostitution, plus charges of sexual intercourse without consent, promotion of prostitution, and sexual abuse of children.

Kalispell police say Dasen spent millions of dollars for sex in the past 20 years.