Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — A Steamboat Springs doctor accused of grabbing a female employee by the arm and shoving her through a door pleaded guilty in Routt County Court on Wednesday to a misdemeanor harassment charge.

Lewis Moore Cutter, 51, was arrested in August after Amanda Maddux, 32, of Craig, told police Cutter assaulted her at work. Maddux worked in Cutter's office.

Cutter's attorney, Kris Ham--mond, told Judge James Garrecht that as a part of the plea agreement, Cutter would receive a one-year deferred judgment in the case, which means the case will be dismissed if Cutter complies with court orders during the next year.

"What I usually tell people who get these kinds of deals is that they're good, because you have the control to get the case dismissed," Garrecht told Cutter.

Garrecht also told Cutter he would be required to attend anger-management classes and perform 24 hours of community service. Cutter also was ordered to pay a $100 assault-and-battery fine and pay additional court costs.

Before Cutter's case was heard, Garrecht asked the court if anyone had a problem with him presiding over the case because he knows Cutter. Neither the prosecution nor the defense objected.

In other court action

Herb Allaire, a 60-year-old homeless Steamboat Springs man, remains in the custody of the Pueblo State Hospital, Routt County Undersheriff Dan Taylor said Wednesday.

Allaire was arrested in July on suspicion of third-degree harassment after he allegedly hit a man on Lincoln Avenue.

Since Allaire's arrest, his case has appeared on court dockets several times, and he has failed to appear in each of those instances.

Allaire was sent to Pueblo after County Judge James Garrecht ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation before proceeding with the case. Allaire had pleaded not guilty to the charges, but it was unclear at the time whether Allaire knew how to proceed because he opted to represent himself.

Taylor said he did not know whether Allaire had undergone the mental health evaluation, but said it's possible Allaire is receiving additional treatment at the hospital's mental health facility.

Allaire eventually will be brought back to Routt County to face the charges, Taylor said.

Emilio Castillo, 43, of Steamboat Springs waived his right to a preliminary hearing in County Court on Wednesday and had his case bound to District Court.

Castillo was arrested in September after officers said they found 23 grams of cocaine hidden in a vehicle he was driving on U.S. Highway 40.

Taylor said Emilio Castillo also is known as Edmundo Portillo and is wanted on drug and theft charges in Castle Rock and Adams County. Taylor said Castillo is known to have many aliases. Castillo will appear in District Court at 11 a.m. Oct. 11.

Cosme Orlando Lopez, 22, of Steamboat Springs, who faces felony drug charges in a July cocaine case, was in County Court on Wednesday for an unrelated 2004 driving under the influence case.

The DUI case was closed Wednesday after Judge Garrecht and public defender Trevor McFee determined that Lopez could serve jail time for the DUI offense while awaiting trial for the cocaine case. The jail sentence was handed down because of Lopez's inability to complete required alcohol classes while awaiting trial in the felony drug case.

Garrecht also told Lopez he is responsible for any fines or costs remaining from the DUI case. Lopez was arrested this summer after officers allegedly documented him selling cocaine from his home, within several hundred feet of Soda Creek Elementary School.

-- To reach Alexis DeLaCruz, call 871-4234 or e-mail adelacruz@steamboatpilot.com