Charges against Alisha Yeates dismissed in Bannock County

Alisha Yeates, a former soccer coach at Blackfoot High School, was sentenced in Bingham County last week for charges of lewd conduct with a minor.

On Monday, Yeates was scheduled to appear in court on two more lewd conduct charges in Bannock County, but the case was dismissed.

Bannock County deputy prosecutor Zachary Parris said the charges were dismissed because of a plea agreement with Yeates and her attorney.

Parris said the charges in both counties dealt with the same crime and same victim, just different locations. He said the prosecutor’s office felt it was in the best interest of the case that she be sentenced in Bingham County. To ensure her sentencing there, conditions were established in the plea agreement. Once those conditions were met and Yeates was sentenced in Bingham, the charges were dismissed.

Parris said he felt this ensured a more fair and accurate sentencing. He said with Yeates facing charges and possible jail time in both counties, her attorney could play those charges off each other in hopes of getting a lesser sentence from the judge.

Parris said the case was ultimately dismissed “in the name of justice.” He said it wouldn’t make much of a difference to pursue her charges in Bannock County. He said she’ll serve her time regardless, and Bannock County’s charges would likely not have made a difference.

“Even if she’d have pled guilty to a count here in Bannock County, I would have expected the courts to run those two charges at the same time and so there was no benefit for our jurisdiction to demand a plea down here,” Parris said. Yeates was sentenced last week in Bingham County on five counts of lewd conduct. She received one year fixed jail time and 14 years indeterminate. She will also now have to register as a sex offender.