Police officer testifies in Dasen trial

The Dick Dasen Sr. trial on Wednesday focused largely on testimony from law enforcement officers, switching from the usual spotlight on women who claim they were paid for sex by the Kalispell businessman.

Kalispell police officer Kevin McCarvel occupied the witness stand as attorneys questioned him about law enforcement practices in the Dasen prostitution case.

Dasen, 62, is on trial for 14 charges related to prostitution and sex with minors.

The last several days of testimony have revolved around women who said Dasen paid them thousands of dollars for sexual favors.

The women also said they occasionally received checks from the defendant without any sexual repayment.

Dasen's attorney has attempted to show that Dasen gave women money to help them out of financial jams or bad situations, not as payment for sex.

On Wednesday, defense attorney George Best asked McCarvel about the circumstances surrounding many of the people the police talked to while investigating the case.

He established with the detective that many of the people he talked with (several of whom are now witnesses in the Dasen case) were admitted drug users. Best frequently referred to drug users as "those people" or "those kind of people," as he has done throughout the case.

Best asked McCarvel if knowing a person was a drug user made the officer suspicious of what he or she told the police.

"I would have to take their story on the whole," McCarvel answered.

He acknowledged that some drug users, including some who are now witnesses, aren't totally honest with police. But police routinely check out people's reports to see if they are corroborated by what other people say or by other evidence, McCarvel said.

Best said some of the people have faced charges related to drugs or financial crimes.

He presented a letter from McCarvel and Deputy County Attorney Dan Guzynski that offered one woman immunity on various charges in exchange for her cooperation in the Dasen investigation.

McCarvel acknowledged the same deal had been offered to other people, but he said those were decisions by the prosecutor, not him.

Deputy County Attorney Lori Adams did not focus on that point when she questioned McCarvel. However, she did ask McCarvel if the police forced anyone to talk with them. McCarvel said they did not.

Another officer with the Kalispell police was to take the stand later in the day.

Earlier Wednesday, a woman testified that she was a minor at the time of her relationship with Dasen. The woman is now 18.

She wavered during her testimony about whether or not Dasen knew her age. At one point she said they had talked about her age.

At another point, she replied the two hadn't discussed her age.

The trial, midway through its third week, continues today.

Reporter Camden Easterling can be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at ceasterling@daily-interlake.com