Tara Koch to Negotiate Settlement in Theft Case on Jan 12; trial looms
Tara Koch settlement hearing to occur next week with a tentative jury trial date set for October 2024.
By Cole Goodwin
Tara Koch. Photo from Zoominfo.com.
The Dalles, Ore., January 5, 2024 – Accused former Executive Director of Haven from Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Tara Koch is scheduled to appear on theft, forgery, and identity theft charges in a settlement conference on January 12, 2024.
Judge Karen Ostrye will preside over the negotiation in Wasco County Circuit Court.
Ostrye will evaluate the case and discuss the possibility of settling it before it goes to trial. Settlements can involve restitution, in this case potentially up to or more than $96,000 based on conservative estimates of the money alleged to be missing.
If a settlement is not reached during the conference then Koch will face a twelve person jury of her peers in October of 2024.
Koch’s trial has been delayed for over a year and a half due to various conflicts of interest and a shortage of public defenders. Koch’s attorney Jody Stutsman Vaughn also requested additional time for the discovery process. That process involves exchanging information about the witnesses and evidence that will be presented at trial.
Koch, who was secretly indicted in 2022, has been accused of stealing at least $96,000 from Haven. It is a non-profit organization that offers support and advocacy for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking in Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam and Wheeler Counties.
Koch was arrested in the summer of 2022 on 26 charges including theft, identity theft and forgery. She was released on $25,000 bail.
In October of 2022, Koch filed a not guilty plea to all charges.
