News

Mayor waives right to make appearance in district court

Scott Wagar

02/26/2013

Mayor Ben Aufforth, who was scheduled to make his initial appearance on Friday morning for a DUI charge and three other offenses decided to waive his right to appear in court through his attorney, Bill Hart out of Rugby, who read Aufforth his rights prior to the initial appearance in court.  

Northeast Judicial District Court Judge Michael Sturdevant scheduled Aufforth’s next court appearance for March 19 at the Bottineau Courthouse.

Aufforth has been charged with four offenses which deal with a DUI.

According to the Bottineau County Sheriff’s Department and Clerk of Courts Office, Bottineau’s mayor has been charged with the following offenses.

  •  DUI
  •  Failure to give Immediate Notice
  •  Care Required
  •  Leaving the scene of an Accident


The maximum penalty for the DUI and leaving the scene of an accident is 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each offense. The remaining two offenses hold a maximum penalty of fees, which the state’s prosecutor in the case, Galen Mack of Rugby, didn’t know the fees.