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Charles Gale, a tango instructor whose teaching methods crossed a slew of lines detailed in the 2007 Westword feature article "Dirty Dancing," received a light sentence after pleading guilty to third-degree misdemeanor assault: nine months of probation. Moreover, he doesn't have to register as a sex offender.
Why did Gale rate such a great deal? As pointed out in this September 5 blog, problems with courtroom recordings made prosecutors fear that if Gale appealed, he might win a new trial. Rather than risk such an outcome, they allowed him to plead to a lesser charge. For that reason, he's having to face less music than he might have otherwise. -- Michael Roberts
Keep Westword Free... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Denver with no paywalls.
