Man who shot at car pleads no contest

A man who was accused at attempting to kill a Havre man November pleaded no contest to reduced charges Monday.

Doug J. Hopf, at his change of plea hearing Monday in District Court, pleaded no contest to charges of assault with a weapon, criminal endangerment, tampering with witnesses or informants, all felonies.

He was previously being tried for deliberate homicide.

Hopf, born in 1968, was charged for his crimes Dec. 10 and pleaded not guilty to all three initially.

Nov. 29, Hopf shot a firearm at a vehicle which one man occupied. Earlier that night, Hopf went to a bar with the girlfriend of the man he shot at and they returned to his residence afterward. The man who was shot at was driving around Havre trying to find his girlfriend when his window was shattered.

Hopf and his attorney, Kaydee Snipes Ruiz, stated he has reviewed the evidence and believes it is likely that a jury would find him guilty of the offenses.

He will be sentenced Aug. 10 at 1:30 p.m. at the Hill County Courthouse.

Judge Daniel Boucher lifted a restriction that Hopf be barred from talking to anyone connected with the case, but prohibited him from talking about the case.

Despite a defense motion, the judge ordered Hopt to keep wearing a global positioning device.