Appeals court affirms penalty in perjury case

SANDPOINT - Idaho's appeals court is rejecting a Priest River man's argument that his sentence for a perjury conviction was too excessive.

Barry Brandon Beckford was ordered in 2004 to serve five to 10 years in prison with retained jurisdiction for lying on an application for court-appointed defense counsel in a felony domestic violence case. After serving six months in prison, the rest of his sentence was suspended and he was placed on supervised probation for four years.

Beckford argued in an appeal that the punishment was too harsh, but the court ruled Senior District Judge James R. Michaud did not abuse his discretion when he imposed the sentence, according to an unpublished opinion filed on Dec. 17.

'In October, Beckford's request for his probation to toggle from supervised to unsupervised was rejected, documents in 1st District court show.

Beckford, 54, was arrested in 2003 for allegedly beating his ex-wife and causing permanent disfigurement. He was subsequently charged with lying under oath for making false statements on the financial disclosure form.

Charging papers in the perjury case said Beckford lied about his personal assets and employment status in seeking a taxpayer-funded defense attorney. The state sought a persistent violator enhancement because Beckford had been previously convicted of possession of stolen property and second-degree arson in Yakima County, Wash.

The domestic violence charge was later dismissed without prejudice, which allowed the state to re-file it. Court records indicate the state never revived the charge.

Beckford, also known as Barrett B. Bailey, filed tort claims in 2004 seeking $2 million in damages from the county. The claims accused the prosecution of pursuing a bogus domestic violence case against him and blamed the victim for her facial injuries, which included a fractured eye socket. One the claims accused the county jail of disregarding his religious beliefs by making him eat meat products.