Moscow residents charged with mask order violation each plead not guilty

All five Moscow residents cited by Moscow police for allegedly violating the city’s face mask/social distancing order at an anti-mask protest Sept. 23 in the Moscow City Hall parking lot have pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Jesse Broussard, 35, pleaded Wednesday in Latah County Magistrate Court; Gabriel Rench, 41, pleaded Tuesday; Tyler Marines, 28, pleaded Monday; and Rachel Bohnet, 26, and Sean Bohnet, 24, each pleaded not guilty to the face mask order violation charge and a misdemeanor resisting or obstructing officers charge on Oct. 5.

Rench and the Bohnets were the only three arrested at the protest, which was promoted as a psalm singing event.

Rench, a Republican running for Latah County Commissioner against Moscow Democrat Tom Lamar, was arrested but not charged for allegedly refusing to identify himself to police and the Bohnets were arrested for suspicion of resisting or obstructing officers. All three were released from jail shortly after they were arrested.

All five are scheduled for pretrial conferences next month in front of Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall. The face mask order violation carries a maximum punishment of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.