Middleton mayor arrested on suspected domestic battery charge over the weekend
An Idaho official was arrested over the weekend and charged with domestic battery, but he will be released from custody Monday.
Darin Jade Taylor, who is the mayor of Middleton, Idaho, was arrested around 9 p.m. on Saturday, records show. He’s charged with a single count of misdemeanor domestic battery.
The severity of 53-year-old Taylor’s charge wasn’t immediately apparent.
On Monday, Canyon County Magistrate Judge James Schiller set Taylor’s bond at $2,000 and scheduled his next court appearance for 1:30 p.m. April 25. Schiller put a no-contact order in place between Taylor and the alleged victim.
Taylor was first elected mayor in 2011. A group of “concerned citizens” sought to recall Taylor in 2012, alleging “various unethical or ill-advised decisions,” according to prior Statesman reporting.
His current term as mayor ends in December 2019. Taylor is an attorney, but according to the Idaho State Bar’s online records, his license to practice law is inactive.
If convicted, a first offense of misdemeanor domestic battery is punishable by up to six months in county jail.
Middleton City Council President Rob Kiser told the Statesman that he’s ready to step in as acting mayor if needed.
“Anytime the mayor is unable to perform his duties, it falls to the council president,” said Kiser, a softball coach who was reached by phone at practice Monday afternoon. “He’s been charged but he hasn’t been proven guilty.”
The next Middleton City Council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The agenda that was posted online Monday did not have any items referencing the mayor.
This story was originally published March 3, 2019 at 12:59 PM.
