County prosecutors take over domestic violence case against Richland mayor’s girlfriend

The Richland mayor tried to go to jail last month in place of his girlfriend, saying she wasn’t equipped to handle it and instead needed mental health help, police reports show.

April H. Moody was arrested for allegedly hitting and biting Bob Thompson during a fight at their Richland home.

Thompson, a longtime criminal defense attorney, continually told officers he did not want Moody taken into custody.

He also chose not to provide a written statement and turned down a request for a restraining order against Moody, according to reports obtained from the Richland Police Department in a public records request.

However, an officer still gave him a domestic violence packet, which provides information and support services.

Moody had a “fat lip” and Thompson had a black eye, scraped nose, “goose egg” on his forehead and cuts on his fingers when police responded to the Lakeview Court home in the early hours of Feb. 22.

Moody called 911. She ended up going to jail once police determined she was the “predominated aggressor” in the altercation.

Thompson told Officer Ron Schneider he did not want his girlfriend to get into trouble, but was reminded domestic violence assault laws in Washington are clear about the need to make an arrest if there’s evidence someone was assaulted.

“Robert stated that I had discretion in these cases. I explained to Robert that we did not have discretion when it came to DV assault,” Schneider wrote in his supplemental report. “Robert stated that I could call a judge and have Moody released. I advised Robert that is only used in extenuating circumstances and this did not fall under that.”

Moody, 53, is now charged in Benton County District Court with fourth-degree assault with domestic violence.

Her original case for simple assault with domestic violence was dismissed this week, Judge Terry Tanner told lawyer Kevin Holt during a brief hearing. Holt is representing Moody.

Judge John Ziobro, who normally handles all city of Richland criminal cases in District Court, was recused from Moody’s case because of the potential conflict with Richland and Thompson’s role as an elected city council member.

The attorneys who contract with Richland to prosecute the city’s criminal matters also backed off the case because of the conflict of interest.

That’s why a new criminal complaint was filed March 8 by the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office.

Moody is scheduled to appear in court later this month to enter a plea to the new charge.

Thompson, 62, told police that he and Moody were dating and had lived together for two years.

The two allegedly started arguing Feb. 21 at a Tri-City country club, but things didn’t escalate until they were home. Thompson said they got into an intense discussion “about him being overbearing” and that’s when Moody started to “beat him,” according to police reports.

Moody, who was on the front porch when police arrived, claimed that Thompson hit her first and she hit him back. She didn’t go into details about their argument, but said Thompson told her she needed to leave and she was packing her bags when their physical fight began, according to a report by Officer Cameron Fancher.

Moody repeatedly told Fancher it was “just a relationship thing,” and, when pressed by the officer, described a slapping motion as the cause of her fat lip. She added that the fight happened about 1 1/2 hours before police arrived.

Thompson separately told Fancher that he may have caused his girlfriend’s swollen lip when she bit his hand and he tried to push her off. He said he did not remember ever hitting her.

Questioned about the blood around his left eye and on the bridge of his nose, Thompson told Schneider he “thought he had fallen” in the bedroom.

He told police that Moody has mental health issues and “has ‘breaks’ where she is uncontrollable,” reports said.

He said he wanted to help his girlfriend but didn’t know how, and that she “is not equipped to go to jail and (police) should take him.”

This story was originally published March 17, 2018 at 3:14 PM with the headline "County prosecutors take over domestic violence case against Richland mayor’s girlfriend."