Blue Lake Police Chief David Gundersen pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 12 counts of raping his wife while she was drugged or intoxicated, and filed a motion through his attorney requesting a conjugal visit with his unidentified spouse in celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Westhaven defense attorney Russ Clanton, who filed the emergency order, said he did so “on behalf of husbands and wives everywhere. “
“I see nothing in any of these charges that suggests to me the chief shouldn’t be allowed to celebrate this important holiday in the usual way,” Clanton said.
While he acknowledged that most married couples spend Valentine’s Day engaging in masturbatory fantasies about people on TV, Clanton said the Gundersen marriage was different.
“The chief and his wife engaged in frequent and entirely consensual sexual activity, which was intimate in nature and certainly not criminal.”
Clanton characterized the couple’s sexual contact as “a specialized form of playing doctor—first he played anesthesiologist, and then he played gynecologist. He should be facing board certification, not a dozen rape charges.”
In a related move, Clanton requested that the judge be given enough sleeping pills and cheap Chablis that the “court would be rendered incapable of refusing my client’s unwanted legal demands.”
The motion is scheduled to be heard today in Humboldt County Superior Court.
Related post: Chief denies spousal rape accusation, says two were never married
Filed under: Humboldt County | Tagged: Blue Lake, board certification, conjugal visit, David Gundersen, masturbatory fantasies, people on TV, playing doctor, Russell Clanton, sleeping pills and cheap Chablis, unwanted legal demands, Valentine's Day, Westhaven |
The Humboldt Mirror 
As I read this, I found myself getting more and more dismayed. There are some things that just aren’t funny–don’t be making fun of how us married people spend Valentine’s!
Lots of TV and KY tonight. Practically a party!
I googled “cheap chablis” (is that redundant?) and somehow ended up here.
Something is terribly wrong in Blue Lake. And the fault does not lie with Gunderson and his wife. Blue Lake citizens have given up and somehow forgotten that the police, the City Council and the City Manager serve at our request. It has been apparent for a long time that Gunderson has a tainted past. When did we say it was o.k. for our standards to drop so low? Why would we allow Mr. Buck to hire Gunderson’s wife to work in the same dept? Why would we not continue to push to see all police logs make public? Why would we allow a City Council to sit silently by while Gunderson chalks up compliant after complaint ending in a Grand Jury investigation? It is time for a change of many levels in Blue Lake. Attend the City Council Mtg Feb 26th 7pm. Even if you do not share your thoughts, attendance is important. We do have the power to make a difference.
Let’s get some petitions going around to sign stating exactly that, especially at the upcoming meeting. If we all get them going, they will make a huge impact. What about leaving some around town anonymously for everyone to sign? Could be done in a few days and the meeting isn’t even until next week!!
What’s this? A sincere comment of a political nature? We’re inspired! So touching to find someone who still believes circulating petitions “will make a huge impact.” Go democracy!!