POCATELLO — Jamie Bock says she was frustrated when Pocatello city prosecutors were only able to level a misdemeanor charge against a man she’s accused of making physical sexual advances against her will.
She’s downright frustrated that the misdemeanor battery charge was recently pleaded down to a charge of disturbing the peace.
“When you take a deal like that, to me it means my value means nothing to them,” Bock said. “Grabbing at me on top, grabbing me down below and sticking his tongue in my mouth, how could that be disturbing the peace?”
Bock said she waitressed at Oliver’s restaurant in Pocatello since December of 2005. In May of last year, a new manager was hired, Robbie Chavez.
According to a court filing, Bock was shooting darts at a local tavern on the evening of Feb. 28 when she got a text message from Chavez, telling her he and some others were at another local tavern and inviting her to join them. She finally agreed to join the group at the other tavern.
During the time she was there, Bock told police, Chavez bought her a couple of shots and was making advances toward her. Tired of the advance, Bock told police she decided to leave and go home.
“Chavez followed her outside to her car and when she got into the driver’s seat, he got into the passenger seat,” is written in the court filing.
At that point, Bock contends in the filing, Chavez began kissing her, pulling on her neck because she was pulling away, and shoving his other hand down her shirt and touching her breast. Bock told police she was only able to get Chavez to leave her car after promising to follow him to his home.
Police say in the filing that they went to speak with Chavez who initially said nothing had happened. He later admitted that the two had an encounter in the car, but told police it was consensual. He also denied inflicting the red marks on Bock’s neck and chest.
Chavez was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery.
On Friday, Chavez pleaded guilty to an amended charge of disturbing the peace and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14. He remains working at Oliver’s.
Bock, however, says that because she told Oliver’s owner, Lisa King, that she was unable to work along side Chavez, King consider her as having quit her position. She has not been back to Oliver’s since.
Although the Department of Labor does agree that Bock technically quit, they determined she quit based on the workplace being a hostile environment, Bock said. Oliver’s contested the distribution of benefits to Bock and a hearing was held Thursday morning.
Bock said she believes the hearing went well for her but she won’t know until she receives a letter giving her the official decision.
Although Bocks said she’s rolling with what has come to pass, she also admits that she really misses a job she truly loved.
“This whole thing has turned my life upside down,” she said.
(13) comments
p.s. We will not be eating at Olivers again.
What the heck is the matter with our elected prosecutors.
reducing a sexual assault to a disturbing the peace is pure b.s.
My wife and I have been going to Olivers for 15 years or so, partly because of the service, the homey feeling and the service.
Lisa King handled this situation horrible. Keeping a new employee and siding with him instead of an eight year super employee is just not good business. Lisa, pull your head out.
So the question might be who has more value? I think everyone should have equal value in society, but this case seems to have value issues. Nothing wrong with a man being attracted to a beautiful woman, but the use of violence should not be allowed in our community. In this situation the man is guilty of wrong doing with minimal consequences and the victim is abandoned by the business she served since 2005, that's eight YEARS! Obviously a good employee and deserving of respect.
My wish is that the business would have stood by the Jamie and been a role model for other businesses. Too late and too bad. Pocatello deserves better business people and protective law enforcement. We are good people and deserve to surround ourselves with good people.
I want to say Thank You all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to not only vote but to express your feelings in this matter,. I also want everyone to know I did not tell my story for a witch hunt or some vigilante acts but merely to show how lightly the courts take this type of crime.
There is Two sides of the story as Jonas1 states and those sides should have been heard in court by a jury as Mr. Chavez wanted in the beginning. That way he would have had the opportunity to convince a panel of his peers with one of his many alibies his proof of innocence and I could and would have proved his guilt. However Mr. Chavez decided to plead out to a bogus lesser charge but still with a NO CONTACT ORDER being placed on him for 1 year instead of taking the chance of their verdict. So it wasn't anyone other then Mr. Chavez that didn't want his day in court.
I haven't retired from the military Jonas1 but know this.... I am a proud citizen of the United States and a Hard Working family WOman But that doesn't give me the right to Assault Anyone.
Regardless of who stands by me I, Jonas1 am taking a stand for myself.
The Idaho Justice system has failed AGAIN!!! Imagine the uproar if An armed robber was handed a simple petti theft sentence, or a drug dealer is given a illegal consumption. I have known Jamie for many years, She A strong, honest, and very independent , Not one to be a Victim, Ever. Handles her own mishaps etc. It saddens me to think how she must have felt that night. For Mrs. Bock to go to the extent of filing a police report is apparent to me and any one who knows her she must have been terrified! Mr. Chavez having been a military man knows right from wrong! Hello Bannock County Justice system what ever happened to "NO MEANS NO"!!!!
This sure sounds like an assault-attempted rape. I am unaware of the laws in Idaho in regard to either. It is upsetting to me and shocking that a man could get in your car uninvited attempting to force himself on you and grope you without being held accountable for it by laws of Idaho or the workplace! the fact that the police defined it as "misdemeanor battery" again I am SHOCKED!! Why was this not treated as an attempted rape/sexual assault/assault in Idaho!?! I am further SHOCKED at the charge of "disturbing the peace"! Way to get it wrong IDAHO!
I can not believe Lisa King would let her best server go. The manager got away with a slap on the hand. He should be kicked to the curb and not with only a disturbing the peace charge. What a bunch of poo. Shame on the jusitice system and shame on Lisa for choosing a man that assaults his employee. i
If he does it to one, what will he do to the rest. Yes I really want him as a manager.The only way I would put a foot in Olivers is if he is gone and they rehire Jamie. Lisa if your reading this I must ask, is your manager is worth the business you are losing?
@Jonas1 You say he is a family man and so on. BUT he did admit to something happening. So much for the family man huh ?
"Sexual Harassment is any unwelcomed or unwanted sexual behavior or pressure which embarrasses, humiliates, or intimidates an individual", which can be physical and or verbal. In this situation it appears to have become physical as "inflicting the red marks on Bock’s neck and chest", as it was part of the investigation. "One in four women are victims of rape or attempted rape, 84 % of those women knew their attacker, 57 % of the rapes have happened while on dates", a very unfortunate situation for all involved, it is not up to us to decide his innocence or guilt, that he should be held to defend himself if accused. What I find most disturbing is the fact that Lisa King cares not for the safety of her employee of 8 years, but cares more for the new hired manager without question. Hostile environment it is, most notably the ownership of Oliver's Restaurant, who obviously finds it acceptable for Sexual Harassment/Assault to occur outside the workplace, but also expects the relationship or altercation to be suppressed and unresolved in the workplace without mediation. To expect a victim of assault to work with the person who has assaulted them without some reconciliation is absurd and to consider their unwillingness to do so as 'quitting' makes no sense to me in the 21st Century, but this is a 'Right To Work' state and workers rights have little to no value here in Idaho. Jamie surely will be missed at Oliver's, as she was a real asset to the staff and a pleasure to have as a waitress there. Rob too, may be a very good manager/cook, but needs to be held accountable sober and/or intoxicated for his behavior, that originally he denied, and he does hold a position of power in that establishment.
This is the United States of America folks where an individual is innocent until proven guilty. Prosecutors obviously didn't want to waste time and money on a case that had no foundation for prosecution. Rob Chavez is a family man, retired US Army soldier, volunteer coach and one of the best neighbors I have ever had. If there is hard work to be done he has always been there to lend a willing hand. There are two sides to every story, obviously Ms. Bock has hers and then there is the truth. Your neighbors and community support you Rob.
Nice to know that the city prosecutors thinks it's fine to change a misdemeanor battery charge to a disturbing the peace. How many disturbances does it take to make marks on a woman's neck and chest? Yet there will be nothing in this man's record to say he attacks women and the woman feels violated again by our so-called justice system. I say shame on the prosecutors who do this.
That's a bunch of you know what, I know Jamie and she is a great waitress
Me and my wife eat there a lot but as long as they keep that manager there I wont be back. Lisa does not know just what she had
Of course its Pocatello Idaho. Disturbing the peace, are you kidding me. Also Olivers you should be ashamed of yourself. As long as your so called manager is working there a lot less people will be eating there.
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