A former Grand County Sheriff's deputy accused of punching his wife last year has resolved the case with a plea in abeyance.
Austin Lynn Stubblefield, 36, pleaded guilty this week in 7th District Court to one count of class A misdemeanor assault.
Judge Lyle Anderson said the plea will be held in abeyance for a year, at which time the case will be dismissed if Stubblefield pays a $1,000 court fee and stays out of further trouble.
On Sept. 20, Stubblefield's wife said she and her husband got into an argument about their children and that she deliberately knocked his two pairs of glasses off a dresser, according to a probable cause statement. The woman said Stubblefield became angry, and that the next thing she remembers is waking up in the bathroom.
According to a probable cause statement, the woman suffered a broken nose, a fractured right orbital socket, a chipped front tooth, a concussion and several right ear lacerations that required stitches.
Stubblefield told police he had punched his wife in self-defense, and claimed his head and left ear hurt and that he wanted to be checked by medical personnel. After being checked at the hospital, he was taken to jail.
Stubblefield began working for the Grand County Sheriff's Office in March 2013. He was put on paid administrative leave following his arrest in September and later resigned, according to the Moab Times-Independent.
Former Grand County sheriff's deputy Austin Stubblefield leaves court Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, with defense attorney Heidi Bogus after being bound over to stand trial on one count of assault, a class A misdemeanor. Stubblefield is accused of assaulting his wife on Sept. 20, 2014, during a domestic dispute at the couple's home.
