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Ault Mayor James Fladung was arrested for assault and child abuse, according to police.

Ault Mayor Charged With Domestic Violence, Child Abuse

Family Refuses To Pay Bond

POSTED: 5:43 am MDT May 3, 2006
UPDATED: 6:08 am MDT May 3, 2006

The mayor of Ault, a small town in northern Colorado, remained in jail Wednesday after being arrested over the weekend on charges of third-degree assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

According to an arrest report, James Fladung's blood-alcohol level was at least 0.40 percent. when he was arrested Saturday afternoon.

Officers "observed the (Breathalyzer) results climbing at a rapid rate, reaching above a 0.4 (percent) . . . the numbers were moving too fast for the officer to read and the machine shut off and would not turn back on, as if it was broken," according to an arrest affidavit.

Police took Fladung to North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley because of concern over his high blood-alcohol level.

Weld County District Attorney spokeswoman Thea Mustari said Fladung was charged with one count each of third-degree assault and child abuse, both misdemeanors.

The mayor's wife, Jill, said her husband did not assault her and the couple's 15-year-old son got a mark on the wrist when he tried to take house keys away from his father.

His bond was set at $3,000, which family members have refused to pay to help him sober up, his wife, Jill, said. His next court appearance was scheduled for Monday.

She denied that her husband assaulted her and said she called police because she was worried he would hurt himself. She said the couple's son received a mark on the wrist when he tried to take house keys away from his father.

"The report says he slammed me into a wall several times," Jill Fladung said. "That's absolutely false. He didn't lay a hand on me."

Ault police officer Pete Jones wrote in his report that authorities had been called to the Fladung residence "numerous times" for domestic problems, which Jill Fladung also denied.

Police Chief Tracey McCoy said he stood by his officer's report.

Ault, a town of 1,400 people, is 75 miles north of Denver. Fladung has been the town mayor since 2004 and has been a town trustee since 1996. He grew up in Ault, according to a interview last year with the Greeley Tribune.

Mayor pro-tem Troy Osborne said the six-member Ault Board of Trustees had not spoken to Fladung since his arrest and would not take any action until they did.

"I think the consensus of the board is they want him to resign," Osborne said.

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