Attorneys paint opposing pictures of Dasen

Following eight days of testimony, the prosecution and defense have painted a clear black-and-white case in the prostitution trial of Kalispell businessman Dick Dasen Sr.

Now all jurors have to do is figure out which they believe - the black one or the white one.

Deputy county attorneys Dan Guzynski and Lori Adams have doggedly pursued the black case, portraying Dasen as a scoundrel who preyed on desperate women by dangling undreamed-of riches before their eyes and by encouraging them to solicit other women on his behalf.

"I'd lost my apartment, I was using a lot of drugs, my life wasn't going very well," said 23-year-old Leah Marshall, the first of several young women to testify.

"I was a mess … desperate, sobbing," she said, recalling a December 2002 meeting with Dasen. "He asked me how I'd feel about going to college, how I'd feel about him giving me money for a place to live and a car. Then he said he'd also give me a thousand dollars a week. I thought it was too good to be true."

She said Dasen told her to rent a motel room the next day and to call him with the room number.

"What did you think he meant?" Guzynski asked.

"I thought he meant trade money for sex," Marshall replied.

"Did he ever say that to you?" Guzynski asked.

"No," she said. "Mr. Dasen said he'd do me a favor if I did him a favor."

Dasen, 62, is on trial for 14 charges related to prostitution, including sexual

intercourse without consent and sexual abuse of children.

Most of the women involved in this case have admitted using illegal drugs and several have been convicted of unrelated crimes. However, the prosecution has implied that Dasen knowingly financed their drug habits to keep them coming back.

"Most of the time during our meetings I was naked, and I had bad [needle] track marks running up and down both arms," said Holly Rose on Friday. "I honestly don't know how he could miss that."

"Did he ever counsel you about budgeting or how you used your money?" Guzynski asked.

"No," she replied.

The prosecution has also focused on the understanding these women and girls had regarding their meetings with Dasen.

"Basically, girls are to get a motel room, call him with the room number and meet him there," said Tara Sherman, 25, who admitted periodically engaging in sex with Dasen in return for money.

Defense attorney George Best, on the other hand, has put forward the white case, portraying Dasen as a well-intentioned - albeit unfaithful - benefactor who simply tried to help women improve their lives.

"During all the times you met with Dick, was he always kind and pleasant," Best asked Rose on Friday.

"Yes," she replied.

"It's true, isn't it, that your arrangement with Dick included getting $4,000 a month to try and help you improve your life, whether you met with him or not?" he asked.

"No," Rose replied. "He said he wanted me to be one of his regular girls and to meet with him on a weekly basis."

Rose later admitted, though, that Dasen did tell her that she'd get the $4,000 regardless. However, she said he didn't write her checks when he missed one of their weekly sex sessions, "even though he said he would."

Best has steadily chipped away at the credibility of the women, highlighting their extensive drug use, history of lying, and generally irresponsible behavior. He's gotten them to admit that Dasen frequently wrote them checks to help with their car payments, rent, bail, medical services and other purposes - and that they often squandered the money on drugs and gambling.

He's also suggested that, while these women may have assumed that they had to exchange sex to get the money, Dasen never made that a condition.

"Did Dick ever say to you words like, 'I'll give you money for sex'?" Best asked Rose.

"No," she replied, echoing the response of several other witnesses so far.

He's also implied that Kalispell police are trying to frame Dasen, either by planting evidence or by cutting secret deals with witnesses to give them immunity from further charges in exchange for their help in convicting his client.

It could be some time before the jury decides which vision of the Kalispell businessman it finds most convincing. The Dasen trial is expected to last for a few more weeks.

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com