Informational: Federal Court Arraignment
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 23, 2013 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on April 23, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Strong, the following individual was arraigned:
Edward Henry Pratt, a 34-year-old resident of Browning, appeared on charges of assault with intent to commit murder, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon, and being a felon-in-possession of a firearm. He is currently detained. If convicted of these charges, Pratt faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura B. Weiss is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
The defendant pled not guilty to the charges.
The charge, an indictment, information, or complaint, is merely an accusation, and all persons named as defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A pre-trial conference and a trial date will be set and the United States will be required to prove the allegations set forth in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt.