Shooting charge dropped for lack of victim, witnesses

A district judge on Monday dismissed charges against a North Havre man stemming from a Christmas party shooting because several key witnesses, including the victim, could not be located.

District Judge John Warner dismissed felony charges of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon against 52-year-old Wilmer Cleveland Hart, who pleaded not guilty to both charges.

"There's no use dragging it out until the very end," Jeremy Yellin, Hart's attorney, said today. "It's good that they did it early enough so we were not getting all geared up for trial."

Deputy Hill County Attorney Cyndee Faus on...