Chadron woman goes against recommendations, pleads guilty

     A Chadron woman accused of attacking Chadron police last month as they investigated a bar fight has pleaded guilty to all charges despite strong recommendations not to from her attorney, the prosecutor, and the judge.

      25-year old Taure Lame loudly and repeatedly told Judge Travis O’Gorman she wanted to plead guilty to assault, attempted assault, resisting arrest, criminal trespass, and causing a disturbance.

      Lame said her attorney, Dawes County Public Defender Becca Chasek, wasn’t doing her work on the case, but when O’Gorman offered to appoint her another attorney Lame refused while denying that she was serving as her own lawyer.

        County Attorney Vance Haug told the judge that Chasek was providing strong counsel for Lame and that they had worked out 2 different plea agreements with much lower penalties which Lame had rejected.

        Repeatedly telling Lame in an increasingly strong and stern voice to “Stop Talking,” Judge O’Gorman asked what legal training she had and why she thought she knew the law better than Chasek.

        Lame replied that “obviously I know what I did was wrong” and that she just wanted to get the case over. At that point, O’Gorman accepted the guilty plea to all charges, ordered a pre-sentence investigation, and set sentencing for June 15th.

      The charges stemmed from an April 9th incident in which Lame broke a glass during a bar fight, then began arguing with police when they arrived. 

      The confrontation escalated and Lame assaulted and kicked on officer, then kicked and bit a second before she was subdued with a Taser.