Pitkin County Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely dismissed charges against Red Mountain socialite Denise Rich's former yoga instructor this week after the woman who initiated the assault complaint failed to show up to help the prosecution.

"I would have welcomed an opportunity to clear my name in court, but I'm happy and satisfied that justice was served and things ended up in the right place," said Jules Paxton, 40, in a telephone interview Friday from New York.

Rich fired Paxton days after his arrest was made public. Paxton said he and Rich have since reconciled and that he will begin working for her again this fall.

"It was so unfortunate Ms. Richards' name was ever mentioned," Paxton said. "That was part of my ex-girlfriend's anger: to cause me as much hurt as possible. She was trying to find ways to hurt me. She knew my clients are famous and that would draw attention to me. As I said, I am remorseful Denise Richards' name was brought up and for whatever embarrassment it has caused her."

Paxton was charged with third-degree assault in January. In police interviews, his ex-girlfriend claimed he abused her in January and had held her captive in Rich's home for three days around Thanksgiving Day. Rich's publicist has said that Rich was traveling abroad when Paxton was at her Aspen mansion.

Judge Fernandez-Ely dismissed the case at a pre-trial conference Wednesday.

John Van Ness, Paxton's attorney, said his client would have prevailed in trial.

"What would have come out of the trial is this girlfriend had worked herself up into a rage against Paxton in the course of a day or so and when the cops showed up, his clothes were piled up in the fireplace and she told the cops she was going to burn them," said Van Ness, claiming that the alleged victim had also thrown Paxton's financial papers on the lawn and damaged some furniture.

Van Ness said the complainant was emotionally distraught and out of control.

"He didn't put his clothes in the fireplace," Van Ness said.

The attention the charge against Paxton created also didn't sit well with Aspen Police Chief Loren Ryerson who decided to charge the media for arrest records in response to a Jan. 12 story in The Aspen Times detailing the domestic feud. Faced with media pressure and accusations of First Amendment violations, Ryerson reversed his decision to charge for public records. Instead, he implemented a more formal process of obtaining arrest materials.

Yoga Guru Charged in Domestic Assault Case

Jules Paxton, Yoga Guru to Celebrities and Rock Stars, Is Arrested in Domestic Violence Case

Associated Press/January 14, 2005

Aspen, Colo. - A yoga guru to the rich and famous whose clients include Sting and Annie Lennox faces charges stemming from an alleged assault on a girlfriend, police said.

Jules Paxton, 39, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of third-degree assault and criminal mischief after the woman told police he picked her up by the neck, threw her to the floor and choked her.

nPaxton told police he was the one verbally and physically assaulted and had dialed 911 to report it but hung up. Police found a record of his phone call.

According to the police report, the girlfriend said she and Paxton had been arguing over a pornographic tape and Paxton's efforts to arrange a three-way sexual encounter.