State v. Patten

[¶ 1.] Leigh Patten appeals her misdemeanor conviction for obstructing a law enforcement officer contending she was deprived of the assistance of counsel. We reverse.

FACTS

[¶ 2.] On December 28, 2003, Butte County law enforcement responded to a call that Patten’s sheep were on a county road. The sheep had been caught in a ground blizzard and several were trapped in a snow bank while others used the snow bank to escape the confines of their pasture. There were approximately 150 sheep on the roadway. Determining that the sheep were in trouble, and being unable to reach Patten, the sheriff…