Deputy's widow wants new prosecutor

 GREAT FALLS (AP) — The widow of a Cascade County deputy who was struck and killed during a car chase wants someone other than the county attorney prosecuting the case against the driver, who reportedly swerved and intentionally struck her husband.

Robynn Dunn said on Monday that County Attorney John Parker was the reason Adam Sanchez Jr. was out of jail at the time of the chase in which her husband suffered fatal injuries while trying to place stop sticks.

Sanchez is charged with deliberate homicide in the Aug. 14 death of Deputy Joe Dunn, 33. He is also charged with assault with a weapon, assault on a peace officer and two counts of criminal endangerment. He has pleaded not guilty. Sanchez remains jailed in Fort Benton with his bail set at $5 million.

“I intend to continue prosecuting the case,” Parker said, noting that he and his co-counsel have already worked on the case for several months. “We feel confident we can do an excellent job.”

Sanchez had been released from jail just two weeks before Joe Dunn was hit because he had reached a plea agreement that called for a 10-year probationary sentence in another chase and Parker dismissed separate drug and firearms charges in anticipation of federal charges being filed.

District Judge Kenneth Neill rejected the plea agreement and sentenced Sanchez in September to 20 years in prison without the possibility of parole for two criminal endangerment charges.

Parker declined to comment about the handling of the earlier cases against Sanchez.

Robynn Dunn said she also was frustrated that Parker was not pursuing the death penalty.

Parker said he researched the possibility and decided against it. He declined to explain his reasoning.