Jan 28, 2008 2:00 pm US/Eastern
Candidate On Trial Accused Of 'Faking Car Crash'
Prosecutors Say Gary Dodds Staged Crash To Draw Attention To Campaign
DOVER, N.H. (WBZ) ―
A former congressional candidate accused of staging a car crash to draw attention to his campaign was in court Monday for jury selection and to settle a number of last-minute motions.
Gary Dodds of Rye faces charges of falsifying evidence, conduct after an accident and causing false public alarm for allegedly faking a car accident and then disappearing for more than a day in April 2006.
The court planned to take the jury to the site of the car crash on the Spaulding Turnpike and where Dodds was found during a multi-agency search in the woods near the Bellamy River.
Strafford County Superior Judge Peter Fauver told jurors to prepare for a three-to-four week trial.
The prosecution may call 33 witnesses in an attempt to prove Dodds faked his accident and was dishonest about his whereabouts before and for more than a day after the crash.
The defense, which has named 66 potential witnesses, plans to show Dodds is a law-abiding citizen who had no reason to intentionally hurt himself and that police botched the search for Dodds and the subsequent investigation.
Monday morning, the two sides sparred over several motions, including if the jury should see an animation re-enactment of Dodds accident.
Fauver postponed ruling on the video until after reviewing how the re-enactment was assembled. Fauver ordered Mark Dole, who worked with accident reconstructionist Don Donovan, to submit a report to the court by Thursday explaining his method. After reviewing this report, the judge will determine whether the evidence should be presented at trial.
Dodds, a Democrat, had hoped to challenge the U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H.
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