Drunk pilot peads down to assault from attempted rape - gets unsupervised probation

James Ryan Clifton, 37 and from Alabama, charged originally with attempted rape, plead down to felony 3rd degree assault, and was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation. after a drunken New Year's Eve party.

Clifton originally was charged with attacking a woman, who was a guest at the hotel, in the hallway during the early morning hours of Jan. 1, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed Feb. 16, 2007, by Pitkin County Deputy Brad Gibson.The alleged victim told Gibson that Clifton had pulled her down a hallway, forcefully kissed her, ripped open her pants and attempted to rape her as she screamed for help.

According to court documents, the entire attack lasted between 10 and 15 minutes.The attack was foiled, the affidavit states, when a co-worker of the victim heard the calls for help and chased Clifton outside, where the two got into a fist fight. When deputies arrived, Clifton was being taken to Aspen Valley Hospital in an ambulance, court papers allege. Defense attorney Greg Greer said Monday that Clifton was hospitalized because of injuries sustained in the fight. “This was a New Year’s celebration gone amok because of too much drinking,” Deputy District Attorney Gail Nichols said.

Unsupervised probation means just that - no supervision by a probation officer, and sex charges, which according to best sex offender management practices, should never be plead down to non sex charges. The probation stipulations state Clifton must refrain from drugs or alcohol, get months drug and alcohol tests, and write a letter of apology to his victim, who approved the plea agreement. With unsupervised probation, that's kind of hard to do. At least he has a felony on his record.