Domestic violence charges against McIver dropped

Summary

The King County Prosecutor's Office has dropped its domestic violence case against Seattle City Councilman Richard McIver, stating they couldn't proceed without cooperation or evidence from McIver's wife.

Story Published: Jan 15, 2008 at 4:39 PM PST

Story Updated: May 7, 2008 at 2:13 PM PST

Domestic violence charges against McIver dropped

Richard McIver is seen in a file photo.

SEATTLE (AP) - The King County Prosecutor's Office has dropped its domestic violence case against Seattle City Councilman Richard McIver.

In a court filing Tuesday, prosecutors wrote that they couldn't proceed without cooperation or evidence from McIver's wife, Marlaina Kiner-McIver.

Earlier in the day, King County District Court Judge Linda Thompson ruled that statements she made to a 911 dispatcher and to an arriving officer could not be used at his trial.

Kiner-McIver hung up the first time she called 911 on Oct. 10. Seattle police say she told them she worried the call would ruin her husband's political career. But the dispatcher called back saying he couldn't ignore domestic violence calls.

"Why did you call us?" the dispatcher said on the 911 tape. "I was having a serious argument with my husband," Kiner-McIVer replied. "We've resolved it."

So, officers showed up at her house. That's when, they say, she changed her story.

"First thing she told me was she was afraid for her safety," said Seattle police officer Aaron Johnson.

He added that Kiner-McIver told him her husband Richard grabbed her by the neck in a drunken tirade.

Prosecutors said that Kiner-McIver's current statements about what happened that night are "materially and significantly different from her prior statements."

Kiner-McIver's attorney told KOMO 4 News, she's not surprised.

"My client's position has been from the initial phone call that nothing has happened and she didn't want to go forward with any prosecution," said Vonda Sargent.

Sargent says all her client wants is to see her husband. Richard McIver and his wife have been married for more than 30 years. A court ruling hasn't allowed them to talk for 3 months.