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Troopers plead not guilty to felony assault in new arraignment

From left, Jason Woodruff, Clint Campion, Joseph Miller and Matthew Widmer participate in an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Kenai, Alaska.
Ashlyn O'Hara
/
KDLL
From left, Jason Woodruff, Clint Campion, Joseph Miller and Matthew Widmer participate in an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Kenai, Alaska.

Two Alaska State Troopers each pleaded not guilty to a felony assault charge during an arraignment at the Kenai Courthouse on Thursday.

The courtroom was packed for the arraignment hearing. Attendees filled the gallery chairs and stood in the entryway. Sgt. Joseph Miller Jr. and Jason Woodruff appeared in court together, sitting with their lawyers at a shared table. It was their first court appearance since a Kenai grand jury escalated the charges against them from misdemeanor to felony assault last month.

Attorney Clint Campion is representing Woodruff, while Matthew Widmer is representing Miller. Both entered “not guilty” pleas on behalf of their clients. They also opted against having the new felony indictment read into the court record.

“Your honor, Trooper Woodruff waives reading and advisement and enters a ‘not guilty’ plea,” Campion said.

Widmer entered the same plea.

Jason Woodruff (left) and Clint Campion (right) confer during an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Kenai, Alaska.
Ashlyn O'Hara
/
KDLL
Jason Woodruff (left) and Clint Campion (right) confer during an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Kenai, Alaska.

“Your honor, Sgt. Miller will also waive reading advisal of rights and enter a ‘not guilty’ plea,” he said.

The case is a rare example of law enforcement facing criminal charges for their conduct in the field.

Miller and Woodruff are facing charges over a violent arrest of the wrong person near Kenai’s Daubenspeck Park in May. Charging documents say they intended to arrest a man with an outstanding warrant for failing to appear for a 10-day jail sentence for driving with a revoked license. Instead, they actually contacted the man’s cousin, Benjamin Tikka, who shares the same last name.

Charging documents say a body camera worn by a Kenai police officer shows Miller and Woodruff beating, tasing and having a trooper dog maul Tikka as he was complying with trooper demands.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety quickly condemned Miller and Woodruff’s actions during a press conference held after the misdemeanor charges were filed, drawing criticism from the labor union that represents public safety employees in Alaska.

Miller and Woodruff both also pleaded not guilty to the original misdemeanor charges in September.

Judge Thomas Matthews presided over Thursday’s hearing telephonically, from Anchorage. That’s because all three Kenai superior court judges recused themselves in the case. All three cited local concerns about judicial corruption and ongoing interactions with Miller and Woodruff in unrelated cases as reasons for why the cases should be reassigned.

“It is the court’s understanding that these officers may continue to be called as witnesses in criminal matters, raising the potential that the undersigned courts will have to judge the officers’ credibility in certain matters, while simultaneously presiding over their own criminal cases,” the recusal says.

Matthews outlined the maximum sentencing associated with the charge.

Attorney Matthew Widmer participates in an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Kenai, Alaska.
Ashlyn O'Hara
Attorney Matthew Widmer participates in an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Kenai, Alaska.

“I need to make sure you understand that under the charges in the indictment, you've been charged with Assault 1, which is a Class A felony," he said. "It carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.”

Woodruff and Miller won’t have to pay bail as part of the new charges. Since the initial cases were filed, both have been released on their own recognizance. They’re currently on unpaid leave and the dog has also been removed from the field.

Darryl Thompson, who’s representing Tikka in the case, asked the judge to set bail at $5,000 each for Miller and Woodruff. He says Tikka underwent $41,000 worth of medical work as a result of the incident.

“He was tased, he was pepper sprayed, he was kicked, he suffered a concussion, stitches in his head, a broken clavicle,” he said. “I mean, these injuries are serious, and these charges are serious, and we do believe that some monetary bond should be in place, Your Honor.”

Attorneys for the two troopers disagreed, arguing the existing conditions of release are adequate. Both said neither Miller nor Woodruff are a flight risk, nor do they pose a threat to Tikka or the general public. Judge Matthews agreed.

“I recognize that they are serious charges … and that the injuries involved in these cases were serious,” he said. “But nonetheless, I don't believe that either Mr. Miller or Mr. Woodruff presents a flight risk or presents a danger to the victim or to society at large in this case, so I'm going to leave bail as currently set.”

There’s a tentative trial scheduled for January, but Matthews says that’s likely to change. The state prosecutor said additional evidence has been brought forward since the grand jury convened. Counsel for one of the troopers said the defense teams still need to review the grand jury audio.

Miller and Woodruff are next scheduled to appear in court in mid-December for a discovery hearing.

From left, Jason Woodruff, Clint Campion, Joseph Miller and Matthew Widmer participate in an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Kenai, Alaska.
Ashlyn O'Hara
/
KDLL
From left, Jason Woodruff, Clint Campion, Joseph Miller and Matthew Widmer participate in an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Kenai, Alaska.

Prior to joining KDLL's news team in May 2024, O'Hara spent nearly four years reporting for the Peninsula Clarion in Kenai. Before that, she was a freelance reporter for The New York Times, a statehouse reporter for the Columbia Missourian and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. You can reach her at aohara@kdll.org
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