Steamboat Springs — A Steamboat Springs man accused of assaulting two officers while he was intoxicated as an inmate at the Routt County Jail pleaded not guilty to three charges Friday afternoon.

James Todd Reimer, 31, through his attorney, Larry Combs, pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault on a peace officer, a class four felony, and misdemeanor possession of contraband.

Because of Reimer’s plea, 14th Judicial District Judge Joel S. Thompson scheduled a jury trial for Feb. 13, 2001. The trial is expected to last three days.

The charges stem from the evening of Feb. 6, when Reimer and a second inmate, Alfred John Flood, allegedly were caught drinking peppermint schnapps while baking cookies in the jail’s kitchen.

According to court records, Reimer allegedly kicked a sheriff’s deputy and a state trooper while they tried to place him in a restraint chair after he was caught with the liquor.

Authorities suspect Reimer left the jail to purchase the alcohol from a nearby liquor store. At the time of the alleged incident, Reimer and Flood were working as jail trustys.

Authorities suspect Reimer went to the liquor store earlier in the evening when he was let outside the jail to throw away trash and shovel snow.

At the time, Reimer was serving a two-year jail sentence for third-degree assault, violating a restraining order and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Because of the incident, Flood, 21, pleaded guilty to possession of contraband, a class two misdemeanor, in June.

Thompson sentenced Flood to ten months in the county jail, meaning he will serve all two years of a jail sentence he was ordered to serve at the time of the incident.