Lawyers’ forgetfulness puts off sentencing

PALMER — A Talkeetna man convicted in July of attempted murder for a three-day standoff with Alaska State Troopers will wait two more days to receive his sentence.

Donald Voorhis, 51, stands convicted of attempted murder, reckless endangerment, violating the conditions of his release, resisting arrest and seven counts of assault. He was acquitted of two additional counts of attempted murder.

Monday morning was to be the day he received his prison sentence. But, Palmer District Attorney Roman Kalytiak said Voorhis’ attorneys just plain forgot.

“That’s the reason they gave the judge,” Kalytiak said. Voorhis’ sentencing was moved to Wednesday.

At trial, prosecutors said troopers came to arrest Voorhis in September, 2006, after complaints he’d fired his rifle at a neighbor. But Voorhis wouldn’t come out of his trailer, despite numerous negotiation attempts and troopers’ use of a water cannon, pepper spray and tear gas.