LA GRANDE — A La Grande man arrested in 2023 following a shooting has brought legal action against Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen and the Union County Correctional Facility.

Dan Seulean, 50, filed a petition for habeas corpus at the end of 2024, according to Oregon public records.

Seulean has been in custody since his arrest in October 2023 in connection with a drive-by shooting. A writ of habeas corpus puts the burden of proof on those detaining an individual to justify the detention.

The criminal case

Officers responded to a 911 call on Oct. 28, 2023, from Michael Reding, of La Grande, who reported an individual driving a gray van had fired gunshots at him and Shawntell Seulean, of La Grande, as the pair walked their bicycles from Grande Woods Apartments, 2005 Gekeler Lane, to 12th Street.

Reding reported the shooter was Dan Seulean. No one was injured, and officers detained Seulean, who was driving a 2006 gray Honda Odyssey.

Law enforcement seized evidence, including the Honda. During the initial investigation, officers learned Dan Seulean shot at least five times at Reding and Shawntell Seulean with a .22-caliber handgun.

The Union County District Attorney’s Office has charged Seulean with numerous counts, including attempted murder, attempted first-degree assault, attempted second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon, according to court records. Seulean has pleaded not guilty to all changes.

Back and forth on bail

Union County Circuit Judge Thomas Powers initially set bail at $50,000, and Seulean in November 2023 attempted to have the amount reduced.

Deputy District Attorney Ryan Rodighiero objected to a reduction in bail on several fronts, including the nature of the offense, Seulean’s ability to comply with court directives his criminal history. He has convictions out of Oregon and California, including for menacing, stalking and battery where his ex-wife was the victim.

The court kept bail at $50,000.

Seulean the next month again petitioned the court to reduce bail, arguing he could not afford the 10% security. Seulean also had a family member offer to be a third-party release. His attorney at the time explained this would allow Seulean to pursue medical treatment for a hernia that had gone untreated while Seulean was in jail.

The district attorney’s office objected and requested Seulean be held without bail. Following a hearing on the issue, Powers sided with the DA’s office and ordered Seulean held in custody without bail until trial.

The issue came before the court again in June 2024 when Seulean asked the court to remove bail because his parents lived in Gresham and he could receive medical help for the hernia. His then-attorney James Schaeffer argued the jail did not consider Seulean’s medical condition an emergency, so the jail was not obligated to transport him to have the hernia removed or treated. The court again denied the motion.

At the end of November 2024, Seulean once more requested a release hearing to consider allowing bail, a third-party release or a combination of any release conditions the court deemed necessary.

Seulean’s current attorney, Joseph Sullivan, explained his client believes he is receiving inadequate medical treatment while awaiting trial. Seulean told him his hernia has gotten larger and more painful.

At the hearing in December 2024, Judge Powers denied the motion. The case is set to go to jury trial in July.

Habeas corpus

Since Seulean’s arrest he has filed two petitions for habeas corpus against the Union County Correctional Facility, according to public record. He brought the first petition in January 2024, arguing he was being imprisoned illegally on the grounds of inadequate medical care.

The court denied it.

“The relief sought in the petition is not available in a habeas proceeding,” Powers wrote in the judgement.

Nearly a year later, Seulean filed a second petition seeking a writ of habeas corpus attorney Brandon Kammer.

The Hood River based attorney wrote Seulean “suffers from a large hernia that requires immediate medical intervention.” He went on to argue Seulean has requested treatment for the issue several times and is wholly reliant on Bowen to receive medical care.

Powers determined the petition for habeas corpus might have merit and ordered the parties to show cause.

La Grande attorney Wyatt Baum represents Bowen. In response to the petition, Baum argued Seulean’s “confinement and conditions of confinement are lawful and constitutional.”

The Union County Sheriff’s Office provided the records, including medical information, in his possession to the court for review.

There is a status check hearing scheduled for March 31.